Cabin Fever
by chestnut24
Summary: AU. Ally is having trouble writing her fourth album and her record label sends her off to a remote cabin in the mountains to try and inspire her. Nothing is working until a blonde stranger shows up and moves into the cabin next door. Suddenly, she has all the inspiration she could want.
1. Chapter 1

**I know this chapter is pretty short but I wanted to get it started once I had the idea and I promise later chapters will be longer. This is just a teaser! And it might take me a while to update, even though I've already started working on the second chapter. Life is a bit busy right now, poor timing for inspiration to strike. Let me know if you like the idea!**

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Chapter 1

Ally sat by the large bay window of her cabin, coffee mug in hand, looking out over the frozen lake and mountain views. She felt calm, well-rested, and at peace, but unfortunately not inspired. She sighed. A month had passed since her arrival at this so-called artist retreat and she had only managed to turn out one mediocre song. Her record label had reserved this cabin, complete with adjoining recording studio, in an attempt to get her fourth album jump-started, but so far it didn't seem to be working.

All of a sudden, she heard the sound of a large motor vehicle pulling up. She got up to look out her kitchen window to see what was going on. A couple hundred feet away she saw an enormous pickup truck pull up and park net to her comparatively tiny Prius. A tall blonde man hopped out of the truck, followed by a ridiculously fluffy dog. He laughed at the dog as he pulled a suitcase and a duffle bag out of the bed of his truck, flashing a brilliant grin, and strolled over to the cabin closest to Ally's, then disappeared inside.

Ally dropped the curtain again, surprised at her new neighbor. In the month she had been here, she had not seen another human being other than the property manager and the housekeeping staff. These cabins were generally popular in the summer, not the winter. She hoped he would be quiet and a loner s she wouldn't be distracted too much from her work.

Ally retreated to the tiny recording studio, which was only a bit bigger than her walk-in closet at home. Still, it fit an upright piano and the audio equipment required and she couldn't complain. She sat in front of the keys, fingers hovering above them, hoping for a tune. The silence should have helped with this but somehow didn't. She was too calm, too relaxed. Nothing was filling her brain demanding to be let out, no romantic interactions were setting her brain on fire. She wound up playing and singing cover songs for hours, just as she had for days.

When she grew bored she left the tiny room and noticed the sun was much lower in the sky, and it was almost sunset. Time to work on dinner. Ally wasn't a great cook, but she could make do when push came to shove.

As she was pulling out the ingredients for a pasta dish, she glanced out the kitchen window again and immediately laughed out loud. The blonde was dressed in only a towel in his living room, dancing with his dog to music she could still faintly hear despite the walls and distance between them. She couldn't tear her eyes away. Not just because he was good looking (which he was), but because he looked so truly happy and carefree, the kind of happy you normally only see in small children. She wondered if she ever looked like that when she was totally alone.

Suddenly she noticed that he had spotted her. He stopped dancing, smiled and waved at her, completely unembarassed. Ally blushed slightly, gave him a small wave back, and then stepped away and returned to cooking. Perhaps things would be getting a little more interesting now that she had a neighbor.

That night she was sitting in bed, trying to read before falling asleep but having difficulty focusing. She kept thinking about her blonde neighbor and how happy he had been. How long had it been since she was that happy? How could an adult in today's world even be that happy, even if momentarily? Suddenly lyrics started racing through her mind and she grabbed the brown journal she always kept by her bedside for moments like these.

_ Let me see your hands no don't ever drop them_  
_ Just let yourself go whoa and be bold whoa_  
_ Forget about what everyone else says_  
_ Show what you got and that you're ready to rock it_  
_ Just take a chance yeah come on and dance_  
_Dance like nobody's watching_

She fell asleep with relived smile on her face that night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, turns out I lied and I just decided to write the rest of this chapter during downtime at work today. And yes I started the third chapter already, too. I'm just excited about this story so far so it's coming out faster than anticipated. As promised, this one is a lot longer than the first. Serious question: should I only incorporate Austin and Ally songs, or should I also work in R5 and Driver Era songs? Other pop songs generally? I'm always conflicted about this.**

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Chapter 2

Ally woke up to sun streaming in her bedroom window and a faint sound of scratching coming from somewhere in the house. She stretched her arms and legs wide and let out a big yawn before swinging her legs out of bed and going to investigate the noise.

Downstairs, she saw that the noise was coming from her sliding glass patio doors. Outside, pawing at the door gently but insistently, sat her neighbor's dog. The thing looked to be more fur than dog, as if it had a black and white lion's mane but everywhere on its body. But it also looked absurdly cheerful. She opened the door and the dog immediately jumped on her, licking everything it could reach and clearly expressing as much joy as its owner had the day before.

"Well hi there cutie, I think you're at the wrong cabin," Ally told the dog while she petted it. She stepped aside to allow the dog further in and then closed the door. Stooping down, she found the dog's tag, which said Bailey on it.

"Bailey, huh?" she asked the dog, who wagged her tail back in agreement. Ally laughed. "Let's get you next door before your owner gets worried." She pulled on boots and a coat and led Bailey by the collar out the door and across the yard.

She found the cabin's back door opened just a crack, and knocked loudly. She paused for a minute, heard nothing, and knocked again. Finally she yelled, "Hey! Anybody home?"

She heard a groggy grunt from the upstairs bedroom and a moment later a sleepy and confused face popped out from behind the door. "What… who… why..." the blonde trailed off before blinking rapidly and realizing it was Ally and Bailey outside his door. He was immediately less sleepy, but just as confused, as he padded down the stairs in bare feet and opened the door for her.

"Your dog was at my back door this morning, she must have gotten out," Ally explained.

Austin's eyes widened. "Dammit Bailey," he cursed, then looked up apologetically at Ally. "Forgive me, Bailey is just really smart so it can be hard to think of everything mischievous she might do. The door was closed but I must not have locked it last night and she's opened other doors but not a door like this so I didn't think she'd figure it out so fast..." He sighed.

Ally just laughed. "Yeah, I can imagine it could be hard to restrain a dog that can open doors. No worries, she was very sweet and at least she didn't get too far."

Austin crouched down at Bailey's eye level and playfully ruffled her fur. "Yeah, I don't know what I'd do without you girl, don't go scaring me like that again. Or..." he trailed off as he looked up at her expectantly.

"Ally, Ally Dawson."

"Or Ally again!" he finished, before standing up again. "Hi, I'm Austin Moon, nice to meet you. You're in the cabin next door right?" She nodded. "Do you want to come in? The least I can do is make you breakfast after you kept Bailey out of danger for me!"

Ally waved him off. "Oh no, really, that's not necessary. It was no trouble at all."

Austin squinted at her. "You're still in pajamas. Bailey must have woken you up. Come onnn I make some good eggs and some great pancakes. After all, with only the two of us out here, you can't avoid me for long. You may as well get to know me sooner rather than later."

His last point finally convinced Ally. "I suppose you're right. Plus I get more time with this gorgeous, ridiculous creature," she answered, glancing at Bailey.

"Why thank you," Austin replied jokingly. Ally just rolled her eyes and walked inside.

"So, sweet or savory breakfast?" Austin asked.

"Ummm, usually savory but totally up to you."

"Well, if you won't decide, we'll just have to do both!" Austin grinned at her, and Ally couldn't help but smile.

He made her sit down and then started the coffee. She kept offering to help but he adamantly refused every time.

"Mind if I put on some music?" he asked, and she shrugged. He connected his phone to a speaker and music started blasting out at top volume. Ally winced at the sudden barrage of noise and Austin made a sheepish face as he quickly turned it down. When Ally was able to hear again she said, "So you're into pop music primarily?"

Austin glanced over his shoulder at her while mixing pancake batter. "I wouldn't say primarily. I like jazz and rock and classical, too. But pop music is special. I feel like there's nothing that makes people happier in my experience than a catchy melody and a dance beat. And that's the best part about music, right? How happy it makes people?"

Ally thought about that for a moment. "I suppose that's one approach. I think for me pop music is more about crafting lyrics that a lot of people will be able to find relatable yet emotional. There doesn't always need to be a dance beat, you know?"

Austin nodded thoughtfully, pouring batter in one pan and cracking eggs in another.

Before he had a chance to answer, a new song came on. "Hey, this is my song!" Ally exclaimed. "So you do listen to quieter pop music."

"Wait… you're that Ally? Crap I totally didn't put two and two together… well now I'm honored to be making you breakfast." Ally laughed and rolled her eyes. He continued, "I mean I've had some success but not like you. Still playing 1,000 person venues, not 10,000 person venues like you."

Ally shrugged and said, "I don't know, in some ways I miss that level of success. I could have been happy if that was the peak of my career. I don't really want to wind up as a stadium show."

"Really? I dream of the life with backup dancers and fireworks and the whole thing. But I guess the dance beats and catchy melodies are made for that kind of thing. Piano ballads might work less well for that."

"Exactly. I'm scared of it warping the content of what I make in ways that feel less me."

She was impressed that he was managing this whole conversation while flipping pancakes and frying eggs. He loaded up plates with those, sliced a grapefruit in half, and brought everything over to the table where she had been sitting. She got up and poured the coffee. When she looked up he was pouting. "What? You have to let me do one thing," she laughed as she brought the mugs back to the table.

They piled food onto their plates and started eating in a comfortable silence. Bailey came over and laid on top of her feet.

"She already loves you more than me, I'm jealous," he joked.

Ally laughed, then said, "This is really great Austin, you do make awesome pancakes."

"Aw, thanks. You're great breakfast company!"

After a moment, she returned to their previous conversation. "So what's your ideal? Do you want to be famous enough to make people do a double take on the street? Be a household name?

"I wouldn't mind it, yeah. But that wouldn't be the point you know. Those things are appealing not for the superficial goal of popularity, but because I knew I had touched that many people's lives and made that many people happy. Popularity is just a useful measure of how much good I'm doing."

"I get that," she responded.

"So why are you even here?" Austin asked her as he pushed his plate back and leaned back in his chair with his coffee.

Ally sighed. "Well the fourth album just isn't really materializing. It's like pulling teeth, I've barely got any songs on paper and it's been months. The record label sent me here to try and get my song writing back on track, but it hasn't really been helping. I've been here for a month and I've got one… maybe two songs," she said, remembering the lyrics she had scribbled the night before.

Austin grimaced sympathetically. "Yeah, I've been there. Honestly, I'm generally crap at lyrics and have to work with a lyric writer to get anything done. I'm much better with writing music."

They talked a little longer about their respective song-writing strategies but, before long, Ally stood up and said, "Unfortunately, I should go lock myself in the studio and see if anything magical happens. Thanks for breakfast though, this was great."

"Yeah, this was fun. Come over any time!" Austin responded as he started clearing up dishes.

Ally bent down to pet Bailey one more time before waving and heading out the back door. She grabbed her journal and headed straight to the studio. She tried focusing on the previous night's song, but couldn't get her conversation about fame and popularity with Austin out of her head. She found herself thinking about music from his perspective and found herself scribbling again.

_They wanna know know know  
Your name name name  
They want the girl girl girl_

_With game game game  
And when they look look look  
Your way way way  
Your gonna make (make) make (make) make  
Make 'em do a double take_

The lyrics didn't come quite as smoothly as they had for the last one, so she spent the rest of the afternoon and evening tinkering with the words. When she finally looked at the clock she realized it was well past her normal dinner time. She smiled to herself. It had been too long since she had gotten this excited about her music.

After dinner, she did a little yoga to wind down and then went straight to bed, tired from a long day of productivity.


	3. Chapter 3

**Let me just clarify before you read this that Austin and Ally here are in their mid-twenties. There isn't a song worked into this chapter but I think it's pretty obvious which one will be feature at the beginning of next chapter! Thanks for the lovely reviews so far :)**

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Chapter 3

Ally woke up late the next morning, not having Bailey to wake her up this time. She grabbed a bagel and headed straight to the studio. This time she was able to work on melodies for both songs. "Dance Like Nobody's Watching" was turning into an upbeat tune, but "Double Take" was a bit slower and sounded more like she was longing for that reality, rather than confident it would happen.

Once more, Ally forgot to eat lunch and only snapped out of her song writing when her stomach let out an enormous growl at 7 PM. She headed to the kitchen and pulled out a can of soup because she was too lazy and hungry to put in any more effort. She tried watching TV while she ate, but she kept zoning out and needing to rewind because her songs were still taking up so much of her brain space. She knew that unless she did something to snap her brain out of its current obsession she would never fall asleep that night.

She pulled on her boots and heavy winter coat and stepped outside onto her porch and then into the snow. She stood there for a moment, looking up at the stars, then she laid down on her back in the snow. The cold felt like a jolt of clarity for her brain and the beauty of the night sky, undisturbed by any city lights, blew her away and consumed her attention. She stayed there for almost ten minutes until she heard the back door of Austin's cabin slide open. She turned her head and saw him equally bundled up but carrying a steaming thermos.

She sat up and Austin jumped, startled when he realized she was there. "Woah, crazy lady, what are ya doing lying in the snow at night?"

Grinning, she said "Stargazing."

He nodded, understanding, and looked up himself. "Okay, yes, that's a pretty good justification."

"Whatcha got there?" she asked, indicating his thermos.

"Spiked hot cider. Wanna try some?" he asked, holding it out to her.

"Sure." She got up and walked onto his back porch. Taking a sip of his drink, she felt the warmth spread through her. The alcohol was noticeable but it didn't overwhelm the sweetness of the cider.

"Oh, that's delicious," she commented.

"Here, you keep this one and I'll make myself another. I'll be right back."

She stayed on the porch in order to avoid getting snow inside his cabin, but watched him moving in the kitchen. When he got back outside, she said, "There's a communal gas fire pit over there, wanna go sit?"

Austin grinned and nodded so she led him over to the fire pit, got it going, and plopped in one of the Adirondack chairs next to it. Austin followed her example and sat in the other.

"God, I needed this," he commented. "Cities are so draining. Especially when you're touring."

"You're right. Although being out here alone for a whole month has made me a little stir crazy, I have to say."

"Alone can definitely be a nightmare, you get up in your head or you can't think of anything and the world is mind numbingly boring."

"The latter one has been creeping up on me lately."

There was a pause, and then Austin asked, "So how's the song writing going?"

By this point she had finished most of her drink and was feeling solidly tipsy, which probably explained her answer.

"Better since you got here."

He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

She clapped a hand over her mouth then said, "Whoops, that's embarrassing. Well… mostly just that having another person around has finally gotten me inspired. I've been working on two songs that I actually like since you arrived."

He grinned. "Happy to be your muse."

She slapped him on the arm and playfully glared at him.

He noticed she had finished her drink and said, "Come on, it's getting cold out here. I've got a bottle of wine in my cabin if you want."

She followed him back and discarded all of her winter clothes in his doorway. While he poured the wine she played with Bailey on the floor.

She wound up on the couch next to him. He held his wine in one hand and rested his other arm on the back of the couch, turning his upper body to face her. She curled her legs under her and also turned her body to face him, letter her body sink into the soft couch cushions. The couch was short so their knees were almost touching.

"Wait, I know what's missing!" he exclaimed and then jumped up. He connected his phone to the speaker again and to her surprise he started playing jazz. She thought she recognized some Dave Brubeck, but it was something very smooth, somehow both soothing and, she had to admit, kind of sexy.

"Ugh this is so good. You weren't kidding that you listen to a little bit of everything. Wait, okay, I know a good question. Who have your favorite bands or performers been over time?" she asked, taking a sip of her wine.

"Ooh that is a good question. Hmm. My earliest memory is loving Springsteen, and then I think Prince? A brief Dylan phase after that. Then I got into modern pop being because I had started writing my own songs and let's face it I'm too happy go lucky to pull of hard core macho rock. Justin Timberlake after that probably? And now I don't know. I listen to a lot more indie pop so maybe Foster the People would be my favorite now?"

She nodded considering that list. "What about you?" he asked.

"Well, you will be not at all surprised to know that it's a lot of female singers. At the very beginning though, I loved Madonna for sure. When I was in middle school Aretha Franklin, actually. High school it was Sarah Bareilles, then college probably Beyonce and Taylor Swift were tied. Like you I got into slightly more indie acts so my most played now is Regina Spektor. It sounds like we were both always looking for role models for our own careers."

He nodded in agreement, then said, "OK, give me the quick summary of your life up until now. Like the elevator pitch of your life. What are the critical things I need to understand the beautiful and talented Ally Dawson?"

She rolled her eyes at the compliment. But she told him about growing up in Miami, her parents getting divorced, her stage fright that she didn't overcome until college, her lifelong best friend Trish, her first record deal when she was a sophomore in college, her love of reading, and how much she wanted a cat. When asked the same question, he told her about also growing up in Miami, the first time he picked up a guitar in elementary school, the pressure he faced from his parents to be something more secure than a musician, his start as a YouTube sensation that led to a record deal, the huge fight he had with his first label when he wanted ownership of his songs, his second record label and how much happier he was there, how right it felt the first time he played on stage in front of a crowd, and his love of dancing. And then he paused and said, "There's also the fact that I was engaged for six months two years ago."

Ally had been listening attentively but choked on her sip of wine at this revelation. "Damn, where did you find the time to get engaged? I haven't had a love life since my first album came out."

He rolled his eyes and said, "You have a little more time to yourself when you're not as successfully as Ally Dawson. But it was all a mistake anyway. I've always been a little, well, desperate to be loved for me, you know? Somebody who really knew me? And I just believed far too quickly that she really felt that way."

"Who ended it?" Ally asked quietly.

"We had a huge fight. It started as something simple and then turned into a huge discussion of our differences over really fundamental things, like whether the relationship deserved to be our top priority, what quality time together looked like, what kind of life we saw ourselves living in ten years, whether we were communicating well enough. And given that we didn't have this conversation until after we were engaged, obviously we definitely weren't communicating well enough. At that point it was essentially a mutual choice, we just recognized there were too many irreconcilable things."

Ally set her glass down on the table and reached over and pulled Austin into a hug. "That's rough, I'm sorry."

"Eh it's okay," he shrugged, hugging her back. "I learned a lot about myself since then and I've been trying to be okay being by myself, so that's good. All of life is just a series of learning experiences, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah that's true. Sometimes I feel like I just shut myself off from those experiences too much, you know? I'm so type A, I have to plan everything and know how it'll all play out in advance, and with new people in your life you can't do that, it's so unpredictable. I never really let down my guard enough to get as close to people as a relationship really requires."

He nodded understandingly, then said, "You say that, and I'm sure you know yourself better than I do, obviously. But at least with me, I feel like it hasn't been too hard to break down your walls. To be honest, I haven't sensed any walls at all between us."

She paused to consider his statement. He was right, she really hadn't had her guard up around him very much. Whether out of desperation for human company or the alcohol she had consumed that night or something about Austin himself, she hadn't been her usual reserved self. She grinned at him, and answered "Well, it's not very helpful to have your guard up around your muse, is it?" and he laughed with her.

She looked at the clock and sighed. "I should go to bed, shouldn't I?" They both looked at Bailey, asleep on the rug a few feet away and snoring.

"I guesssss," Austin answered, looking saddened.

"Geeze, I'll see you tomorrow. We do live next to each other and have nothing else to do after all," she laughed.

He brightened at her statement and then said, "You sure you're okay getting home?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and said, "What, the whole hundred feet to my cabin? That's a really terrifying walk for sure."

He chuckled and shrugged, and she got up to put her boots and coat back on. She gave him a quick grin and a wave, and said "Thanks for the drinks tonight… and the company." Then she left before he could answer.

Sliding into her sheets a few minutes later, she took a deep breath and thought about how nice the night had been, how nice Austin was, and how cute he was with his big grin and brown eyes, before she quickly drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it's been a little while, life got busy, but I'm not letting this die, don't worry. Let me know if you like this chapter.**

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Chapter 4

Austin was holding her hand, gazing into her eyes, under snow covered trees. He leaned towards her, his eyes moving from her lips to her eyes and back. Ally was holding her breath, anticipating the moment when he closed the gap between them…

And then she sat up in her bed. She realized she had in fact been holding her breath like she had been in her dream and she took a big gulp of air and shook the sleepiness out of her brain.

"What was that about?" she asked herself out loud. Shrugging, she rolled out of bed and went to take a shower.

When she got out she still hadn't gotten Austin off her mind, particularly their conversation from the night before. She was deeply surprised at how quickly she had let him in, more than some people who had been in her life for years. It just felt… natural somehow. Yet again, another song started writing itself in her head. "What is it with this boy" she mumbled to herself as she grabbed her journal from her bedside and scribbled:

_Break down the walls, whoa  
Don't be afraid to let them fall  
Break down the walls  
And you can dare to have it all  
Come on and give it everything you can  
Take a chance, make a stand  
And break, break, break down the walls_

She was halfway through breakfast, still thinking about they lyrics and tweaking them in her head when she heard a knock on her back door. Looking up, she blushed slightly when she saw it was Austin. She remembered the dream hadn't been real and did her best to ignore it when she got up to let him in.

"Hey neighbor! I'm booooored."

Ally laughed out loud at his blunt statement. "It's not even ten in the morning and you're bored?" she asked.

"Yes, and anyway you promised me last night we'd hang out today!" He pouted childishly, trying to hide a smile.

"Aw poor little Austin needs to be entertained." She rolled her eyes and started cleaning up her dishes. He quickly jumped in and started helping her. "So what do you want to do _bestie_?" she asked.

"Ok, don't laugh at me, but I'd really love to hear you play. Would that be okay?" he asked, and she was surprised at how nervous he sounded.

"Yeah sure, I was planning on being in the studio anyway. But you gotta play for me, too. It's only fair!"

"Fiiine," he gave in quickly. "Let me go grab my guitar."

In a minute he was back, guitar in hand, and they walked together back into the studio.

He sat on the one chair in the room and she sat on the piano bench. With the two of them together, there was almost no remaining room. She warmed up with a couple of scales and he tuned his guitar.

"Okay, so what do you want to hear?" she asked.

"Ummmm… what's the song you're proudest of?" he asked.

She thought for a moment and then began playing. "Sometimes love's a scary place/It's like standing in the dark/Flying through the universe/Trying to fix your broken heart/It's okay to let it go/You don't have to be so brave/Take a chance that someone else/Is gonna sweep in and save the day/You don't have to face your fears alone/'Cause whenever you're in trouble/I'll know/Let me be your superhero/There isn't a place I won't go/Whenever you need me by your side/I'll be there, be there."

She played the song to the end, and he watched her attentively the whole time, tapping his foot along. He clapped loudly and cheered when she finished, making her laugh.

"So what's the story?" he asked.

"My best friend got bullied a lot in high school, and it killed me to see it happen but I didn't really understand at the time how to help her or stand up for her. It bugged me for years, and I finally wrote this song about what I wish I had done. It's the one I play for kids when I do charity events or whatever, and I know she really appreciates the song, too. It's one of the ones where I feel like it's a genuine attempt to add value to the world, not just make a living off my voice, you know?"

"You're too hard on yourself. High school kids are so riddled with their own anxieties and insecurities, it's perfectly reasonable that you had a tough time figuring out what to do. And plus, just continuing to be her friend was probably the best thing you could have done."

"Maybe," Ally said noncommittally, not willing to relinquish her guilt so quickly. Changing the topic she asked, "So what are you going to play?"

"Ummm… ok I got it." He started strumming and then sang "I'll be your entertainer/I'm putting on a show/I'm gonna levitate ya/Leave you wa-wa-wanting more/I see you fascinated/I've got you hypnotized/White gloves with your dream up/A fantasy before your eyes/Step right up on the stage/Free yourself from the cage (from the cage)/Pick a card and guess it girl/Here's a lesson girl/It's just an illusion." He kept going, eyes on the floor, but his full body rocking to the music as he strummed the song intensely. She could see the emotions crossing his face, but he wouldn't look at her. When he finished he finally looked up.

"So, written about your ex I'm assuming?" she said to break the silence.

"Yeah. When I was still feeling like everything was my fault after the break up" he said quietly. It was the saddest she had seen him, and she wanted to bring the usual smile back to his face so she turned back to the piano and started playing the opening chords to Born to Run, remembering from the previous night how much he loved Springsteen. She couldn't see his face when she was playing but she did hear him start singing with her as soon as the lyrics started. By the time the chorus hit, they were screaming the lyrics together.

"That was amazing, thanks," he said as soon as they finished the song.

She turned and saw him grinning again, and she could feel her heart lift a little at the sight.

"How about this one?" he said, putting his guitar down and hopping on the piano bench with her. She instantly recognize the song as "You Make Loving Fun" by Fleetwood Mac and grinned. She started playing a harmony on the keys next to him and their voices melded perfectly in the tune. Their hands touched as they played and Ally blushed, but she could see Austin blushing a little out of the corner of her eye, too.

They stayed like that for a while, taking turns picking songs to play together. When she heard his stomach growl she said, "Hungry?"

He leaned towards her and nudged her with his shoulder. "Mayyybe, how could you tell?" They laughed and then she got up and pulled him by the hand into the kitchen. They made grilled cheeses and then sat, quietly munching at the kitchen table.

She broke the silence first. "Have you ever collaborated with anyone?"

He shook his head. "I don't think I'm at the point where I'm famous enough to have people calling me up for collabs, you know? And most of my closest friends aren't really musicians so it hasn't happened organically. What about you?"

"My label has been pushing it recently, but I don't really want to just do a verse on a song with somebody I don't even know just to boost my career, you know? Like you said, it's hard to find it organically. But I also really want to. I want to see somebody else's creative process and learn and grow from that, you know? I feel like it's the same way you can grow from romantic relationships, it makes you questions the decisions you make on your own."

"Huh, I never thought of it that way. Okay, who would be your dream collaboration?" he asked.

"Oh god, I don't know. I don't have a specific person in mind, but somebody not too intimidating, somebody on my level. A person who's easy to be myself around, because I feel like it wouldn't be good if both of us weren't open and honest."

"Would you prefer a man or woman?"

Ally thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess I don't care? Like I think it would shape the song and songwriting dynamic but both would be potentially valuable. What about you?"

"Honestly, I need to fix my own writing process before I start doing collaborations I feel like. I told you, I'm crap at writing songs without somebody else doing most of it for me." He looked down and Ally could see his frustration with himself.

"But you said you're good at music, right? Collaborating doesn't mean you split every task 50/50, you know."

Austin gave her a small smile and nodded. He glanced at the clock and noticed how late it was and he winced. "Oh no, I've left Bailey alone so long, she's got to be miserable. I need to go take her for a walk. See ya, Ally!" He headed for the door, but turned around with his hand on the knob and said, "Oh, and today was really fun, thanks for entertaining me_, bestie_," before laughing and closing the door behind him.

Ally shook her head at his antics, but already missed his presence a little. She decided to take advantage of his absence and get some chores done. She got a load of laundry started and began to clean the bathroom. She found herself humming the songs they had been playing earlier, and thinking about Austin, but eventually a new tune came to mind. Without even realizing it she had a chorus in her mind. She got up from the tub she had been scrubbing and ran for her journal.

_You changed the world outside my window  
Right there, you blew my heart away  
And I remember when I met you thinking  
That you were not an ordinary boy  
This wasn't gonna be no ordinary day_

She looked at the chorus again and then blinked. Was this about Austin? Without even realizing it, was this how she felt about that first day when she saw him dancing with Bailey in his cabin? It had been a long time since Ally had developed feelings for anyone. Part of her decided that it was just her loneliness reacting to a cute boy being around and that this was nothing more than a crush, a useful foil for her as she composed love songs and actually made some progress on her new album. Another part of her knew that probably wasn't true.

She flipped back through her book, looking at all the songs she had started in the past few days. Most of them weren't finished, but she had serious beginnings of four songs now: Dance Like Nobody's Watching, Double Take, Break Down the Walls, and No Ordinary Day. As she looked at Double Take again, she wondered if it really sounded like something she would perform. The tune was pretty and the lyrics were catchy, but it didn't sound like her and, as she had been emphasizing to Austin, she deeply cared about her songs sounding like they came from her heart. As she thought about her conversation with Austin, she remembered the part of it about collaborations, and her description of who she was looking for. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed across her mind.

Smiling to herself, she made dinner, read a little, and got into bed. The next day she would take Double Take over to Austin and see if he liked it enough to work on it together as a song for him to perform.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, again, for taking so long to update. I'm not on a regular update schedule for this yet, so it's easy for me to put off writing for days at a time. Also, I know that this story is probably a bit slow because it's just two people talking in the same place the whole time, but I've planned out the rest of the story and they do get out and about in the world a little bit, I promise!**

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Chapter 5

Ally woke gradually as the sunlight coming through her window grew stronger. She stretched her arms up and her feet down, luxuriating in the feeling of waking up without a deadline. She had to admit, the last month of waking up without the jolt of anxiety caused by her alarm clock had been good for her mental health.

She rolled to her side and her eyes fell on her song book, causing her to remember her plan to give Austin Double Take. Grinning, she sat up and eagerly pulled on socks, excited to start the day.

As she made herself eggs and toast for breakfast, she reviewed Double Take in her head. The lyrics were in pretty good shape, although she had initially written them for herself so some tweaks would be needed for Austin's personality. And she had the basic melody worked out, but she had not fleshed out the harmonies and instrumentation. In other words, there was still a lot of work to do.

After breakfast she went upstairs to get dressed. She hesitated longer than usual in choosing what to wear because, although she tried not to admit it to herself, she wanted to look good for Austin. She tried to excuse it, thinking that since Austin always looked good she would feel embarrassed if she looked like a slob. To that end, she couldn't wear sweatpants or leggings, but she also couldn't exactly dress up because Austin would notice and think she was weird. She settled on black jeans, an off-the-shoulder soft gray sweater, and gray combat boots. She put her hair into a high ponytail and grabbed her coat and song book before heading out the door.

When she got to Austin's back porch she laughed because he was, yet again, dancing to music while making pancakes. At this point she wasn't sure she would ever eat pancakes again without thinking of Austin.

He turned with a tall stack on a plate and finally saw her. He waved and she waved back, although she blushed when she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt so she could see just how nicely toned his body was.

She tried the back door and found it open. "Aren't you worried about Bailey getting out again?" she asked as she stepped inside.

"Good morning to you, too" he laughed. "I've taken to bringing her into my bedroom at night and locking the door. Usually if she has the option of snuggling with me she doesn't get into too much trouble."

Ally laughed out loud. "I don't envy the woman who has to contend with you preferring to cuddle your dog all night long."

Austin blushed and stammered, "No, no it's just while I'm here this isn't typical I swear… And I'm sure I could figure something out if somebody did want to stay here..."

An awkward silence followed as Ally tried to figure out whether Austin had meant the obvious innuendo to be about her. Unable to come to any conclusion, she just grinned and said, "Sure, I'm just saying, she better love Bailey as much as you do."

Austin shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin before shoveling pancakes into his mouth to avoid further discussion on the topic.

"Anyway," Ally said, changing the subject, "I have a proposition for you."

Austin raised his eyebrows at her and Ally mentally face-palmed. What was with all the flirty innuendo today?

"Oh shut up, not that kind of proposition. I realized that one of the songs I've been working on would be better for you than it is for me. So I'd be happy to give it to you on the condition that you help me finish it."

Austin's eyebrows rose again, this time in surprise, and said, "Wow, Ally, that's super generous, I would love that!" Then he added flirtatiously, "You sure this isn't just an excuse to hang out with me more?"

Ally rolled her eyes, ignoring that what he said had definitely played a role in her decision. "Oh come on, you're the one who walks into my cabin, announcing you're bored and demanding my attention. You really think I need to make up excuses to spend time with you? No, I was thinking about our conversation yesterday and thought this might be the perfect way for both of us to collaborate organically."

Austin nodded enthusiastically, and replied, "It's a great idea! I was just messing with you."

He grabbed his plate and brought it over to the sink, quickly sorting dishes into the dishwasher. "Let's go to the recording studio?" he suggested, picking up a shirt and pulling it over his head as they walked down the hall.

Austin's recording studio was an exact copy of Ally's. He plopped down on a stool next to the piano bench and looked at her expectantly. She found herself a little nervous all of a sudden, wondering what Austin would think but she settled on the bench and took a deep breath before opening her song book. She closed her eyes and began to play.

When she finished, she glanced at Austin and saw that he had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"So…?" she asked tentatively.

"I love the lyrics, I can see why you think it works for me. And I like the melody but..."

"But what?"

"If it's for me, it needs to be upbeat. Your version sounds like a heartbreak song, I would make it a confidence-boosting party jam. Let me show you!"

He bumped her hip with his, making her scoot over so he could sit on the bench next to her. He started playing the same chords she just had, but fifty percent faster. Ally was shocked he had already memorized the whole melody and when he started singing she was surprised by how much his rock-influenced vocals changed the emotional dynamics of the song. She found herself tapping her foot as he played.

"Okay, fine, you win," she said, grinning, when he was done. He gave her a huge smile back.

They started talking about what else needed work and were instantly absorbed in the song-writing. Ally tinkered with some of the lyrics and ran them by Austin, who agreed with almost all her suggestions. He started tinkering with harmonies, making the main melody an electric guitar part and the piano the accompanying part. He also pulled out a drum machine and worked out an uptempo beat to propel the song. Ally also started looking for ways to insert vocal harmonies and backing vocals to flesh out the production of the song.

Before either of them realized it, hours had passed and their stomachs were grumbling loudly.

"I'm so bad at eating when I'm working on music," Ally sighed.

"Same. Although I'm afraid you'll keel over and die if you don't get enough food since you're so small," he responded.

Ally glared at him and put a hand on her hip. "Well, smartass, now you have to make me lunch to make up for that comment!"

Austin laughed and pulled her by the hand back through the house, to the kitchen. "Quesadillas?" he asked, and Ally's stomach rumbled. "I'll take that as a yes," he laughed.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, they were sitting at the kitchen table in front of cheddar and black bean quesadillas with salsa and sour cream to top them.

Ally groaned embarrassingly loudly as she wolfed hers down. "Sorry, I can't tell if this is astonishingly delicious or I'm just ravenously hungry," she said, pausing to breathe before devouring the rest.

Ally was focused on her plate, but Austin was focused on her, despite his own hunger. He thought she was so cute, both because she was gorgeous and because she was so unintentionally funny. He blinked a few times and looked away when he realized he'd been staring.

Ally leaned back, holding her stomach and smiling.

"I'm thinking we can get a demo of this song done tonight if we want to, while it's still fresh," he commented.

"Sure, but first can we just lie on the floor and let my digestive system recover?" she groaned in response. Not waiting for his answer, she crawled over to his carpet and lay there flat on her back.

He grinned and answered, "Sure, weirdo." She glared at him but didn't bother answering back. He lay down on the floor next to her, with only a few inches separating them.

As he stared up at the ceiling with her, examining the ugly popcorn-style tile, she commented, "I hope my label loves the other songs I've been working on. I don't want to go back to LA just to find out I've been deluding myself and they're all trash."

Austin rolled his eyes and said, "Ally, based on Double Take I'm not worried about your other songs. I know Starr Records is going to be thrilled with this song."

"Wait, Starr Records? Isn't that in Miami?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Yeah, that's where I still live when I'm not hiding in mountain cabins."

Ally paused before saying, "I guess I was assuming you were with a label in LA like so much of the music industry."

"LA feels so superficial to me, and I didn't want to be so far from my parents. Why, already afraid you'll miss me?" Austin joked, rolling on his side to face her.

Ally scoffed and rolled to her side, facing him, to make a snarky comment about the size of his ego. But she caught her breath when she realized how close their faces were. His eyes held hers in an intense gaze that shifted from teasing to something she thought she might classify as fiery. His gaze flickered down to her lips momentarily and then back up to her eyes. He reached a hand up to brush a strand of hair from her face, and the contact send a tingle all the way down Ally's spine.

She sat up abruptly, her flight response kicking in despite the fact that her heart had no interest in pulling back. "Back to the recording studio?" she asked.

Austin sat up slowly, smiling and unfazed by her awkwardness, and nodded. He stood up and held out his hand to help her up, holding on to her hand for slightly longer than strictly necessary. She blushed and avoided eye contact on the way back to the studio.

As soon as they entered the studio, though, they snapped back into creative mode. Austin checked that the drum machine recording was still cued up, while Ally set up their microphones. He grabbed his guitar, she sat at the piano, and he smiled at her before counting off.

An hour later, they finished their twelfth take and looked at each other.

"We're sooo close," Austin groaned. "Okay, the pace on the hook into the bridge was the only thing that went weird that time."

Ally nodded, and they practiced those few measures several times until they had it perfect. Ally could feel that this take would be the one.

Austin's vocal started, then his guitar part. Ally picked up with the piano part a few measures later, along with the drum machine. When he reached the chorus, Ally joined in with her vocal harmonies, their voices perfectly blending together. The hook into the bridge was perfect and the song faded out on a single lingering guitar chord.

Austin hit the stop button on the recording equipment and let out a cheer. Ally grinned and they high-fived before Austin pulled her into a hug.

"That was _awesome_!" he exclaimed as he briefly lifted her off the ground, making her giggle. She stepped back as soon as he set her down, unwilling to get sucked into his gaze by standing too close.

When they got back to the main room, Austin asked "Celebratory drink?"

Ally hesitated but said, "Not tonight Austin. All that magical collaborating was exhausting, I'm ready to go to bed." He looked a little disappointed so she tacked on, "But this was amazing. I'm so glad we did this, you're great to collaborate with," giving him a big, genuine smile. He perked up a little and gave her another quick hug.

"Well okay, sleep well and recover from how exhausting my charm and wit are," he joked as she stepped out onto his back porch and closed the door behind her.

The cold air felt sharp and refreshing to her and she almost hated to go in, but she hadn't lied to Austin when she said she was tired. She might also have been afraid of having another "moment" with Austin. But as she tucked herself into bed and turned out the light she wondered to herself, what would have been so wrong with having a moment if it had happened? He was going back to Miami and she was going back to Los Angeles when this was all over, but who said she couldn't have a little fun? Her mind was still turning over the question of whether her feelings indicated fun fling or serious relationship or close friendship when she finally fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**I really thought that quarantine was going to make me better at updating but... not so much. Let me know if you enjoy the chapter, or if you have suggestions!**

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Chapter 6

Ally was already dressed and making herself breakfast the next morning (fried eggs and toast) when she heard a knock on the back door. Having expected nothing less, she had already unlocked the back door, so she just yelled "Come on in Austin."

He laughed as he stepped in the door. "Expecting me, I see?"

"Well, you or Bailey, I never know which of you will turn up first in the morning," she laughed back, throwing him a grin over her shoulder as she flipped the eggs. "Have you eaten already?"

"Yes," he said, "But I never say no to another piece of toast."

"You got it."

"So," he said as she set his toast in front of him and her own breakfast on the other side of the table across from him, "have you checked the weather forecast?"

"Uh, no, why?" she asked.

"There's a big storm coming in. I came over to ask if you wanted to head into town and pick up some extra groceries and other storm supplies."

"Oh, sure, that sounds good," she said after swallowing her bit of food. "What other stuff besides groceries were you thinking of getting?"

"You know, some battery powered lamps. Couple extra blankets. Couple gallons of water. The usual stuff in case the power goes out."

"You know I've never really had to prepare for that kind of thing since I'm a city girl. I'll take your word on this stuff."

"Eh, it probably won't happen, I wouldn't worry. But we should also pick up some entertainment stuff because it's way more likely that TV and internet go out, especially way out here."

"What, no reading books for you?" she teased him.

"I meeeean that's not a great shared activity," he said, teasing her back. "I thought you'd want to hang out with your muse..."

She fake punched him in the shoulder and then said, "Well I do have a bunch of movies on my laptop. And I've seen a deck of cards around here that a previous visitor left."

"That's more like it, but we can find some board games or DVDs to add to the selection."

The two of them got in his big pickup truck, which required Ally to hoist herself into the cab because it was so tall.

As Austin started driving she asked, "Why do you keep a car like this? It's so… enormous. What person needs all this space?"

"Honestly, it's not my style either but it was the cheapest thing the rental car place had that had four wheel drive and I wanted that in case of bad weather. At home I've got a beat up old Honda from 2010 and I would never trade it for this."

Ally smiled to herself. "Well, that's good to hear. You know what they say, guys with big trucks are usually compensating for something else..."

Austin blushed and kept his eyes on the road, but she saw a smile at the corner of his mouth. He turned on the radio and a song came on the pop station that they both knew so they sang along together, laughing more the louder they sang.

As they were pulling onto the main street of the closest town, Ally asked, "Have you been to this town yet? It's actually really cute, and there are a bunch of stores I've been wanting to explore. It's like… small town America in a Hallmark movie."

"Yeah, that's definitely the vibe I get. Let me park and we can explore a bit before getting groceries."

As they climbed out of the truck, Ally looked up. "It's crazy to think there's supposed to be a big storm tomorrow. The sky is so big and blue!"

Austin just nodded, and they started down the street. "Oh, hey," he said, "they have a used record and book shop, let's go in!" Ally nodded in agreement.

Without either of them realizing it, an hour and a half had passed. The store owner had given Austin a lot of recommendations of bands to try once he listed off his top bands, and he'd spent the time picking through those artists, looking at the album cover art and pulling out what looked appealing. Ally, on the other hand, was initially browsing in the used books section and pulled out some titles she had been meaning to try. The two of them eventually overlapped at the small used sheet music section in the back, arms already full of things they wanted to buy.

Austin peeked at her selection of books and raised his eyebrows, "Fight Club? The Bourne Identity? I wouldn't have pegged you as an action novel girl."

She glanced sideways at him, shrugging, and said, "I guess there are still a lot of things you don't know about me." His eyes lingered on her when she went back to flipping through the sheet music. Together they picked out the five goofiest things they could find: a mixture of old standard tunes from the 1920s with cutesy, nonsensical lyrics and kids tunes and songs from musicals they had never heard of.

When they brought all their purchases up to the register, the clerk laughed at the wide range of things they had grabbed, but packed it all up for them. By the time they were back out on the street, Austin said, "Okay, I'm really hungry. Can we find some place for lunch?" Ally looked around and pointed out a diner halfway down the street. "That place looks like it makes lunches big enough for a growing boy like you," she joked and he stuck his tongue out at her, but they headed to the diner.

Inside was a bustling and cute diner atmosphere, and they were seated in a small booth near the back of the restaurant. They perused the menus and Austin settled on a cheeseburger and fries while Ally got a bowl of chicken noodle soup with toast.

"You look really at home here," Austin commented when their food arrived.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't know. You look like small town life would suit you. You seem more easy going than the high-fashion, fast-paced city life, but you were also going crazy totally alone in the cabin before I got there. So this seems like it fits you. Is this the kind of place you'd want to wind up?"

Ally thought for a moment. "Yes? Although the problem for me is that I want a little bit of it all. I want to have summer nights in the big city in fancy dresses out on a balcony at a cocktail party. But I also want the autumn nights looking up at the stars in the mountains. And spring days exploring small towns like this. All of it, not just any one thing. Makes it hard to feel satisfied I guess. A small town like this might be the best home base, though, and I could get to both the city and the rural middle of nowhere from it pretty easily."

"Yeah I get that. Although for me, I think I like the extremes best. Live the real city life and the grind day in and day out as long as I can run away for a few weeks every couple of months and be by myself. Balance in the grand scheme of things, but not every day."

"I get that, even if it's not a hundred percent my style. But with our careers as up and coming young musicians we're definitely going to be putting a lot more city time than anything else. Even when we're not touring, I feel like we're expected to live these big social lives and be seen out on the town having drinks with acquaintances we never really get to know. I sound like such a malcontent don't I?" she said.

"Nah, you just sound introspective. Something I could use more of in my life. I live so much in the moment I forget to think about where I'm headed or where I've been. I think I would be more successful in my career if I thought ahead more like you and took stock of what I wanted because then I'd actually do those networking things and know how and where to put my efforts to use. I feel like I'm not great on my own at making myself successful. You're more independent than I am that way."

"Maybe it's a thing I've developed as a woman, feeling like I've got to work harder to get where I want so I've never let myself slack off. It's funny you say you'd rather be more like me, though. I find myself envying your ability to live freely. I get so caught up in my planning and my… introspection, I suppose, I feel like I forget to actually live, which can't be good for my mental health."

"So, what you're saying, is we balance each other out..." he said, looking at her with an expression Ally couldn't quite read.

"Yeah, we do make a good team, don't we?" she smiled.

They were comfortably quiet as they paid for their lunches and walked back out onto the street.

Looking up, Austin commented, "The clouds are starting to roll in."

Instead of answering, Ally tugged on his sleeve and pointed to a building across the street. "Come on, a thrift store!" she said, dragging Austin behind her.

The thrift store had a wide range of items, but the things that caught Ally's attention were the racks of vintage clothing and the games section. Laughing, she started draping clothing over Austin, giving him a cowboy hat and a purple velvet jacket five sizes too big for him. Getting into it, he pulled out a big floppy sun hat, a faux-fur wrap and a pair of neon yellow square sunglasses which he put on her. She found him an over-sized flower necklace that hung down in the middle of his chest, and then dragged him over to a mirror. They couldn't stop laughing at the sight of their outfits, and Ally could feel tears welling up in her eyes from laughing so hard. Austin wrapped his arm around her and pulled out his phone, taking a quick selfie of them before she even knew he had the camera up. She grabbed his phone from him before he could put it away and found the picture. It showed her mid-laugh, leaning against him for support, while he had the biggest grin on his face.

"I'm texting this to myself," she said, plugging her number into his phone and sending it.

Eventually they put the clothes back and wandered around more. Austin found a few blankets and flashlights before they headed to the entertainment section. They found a really old version of the game Operation, a set of cards with a variety of conversation topics on them, and a set of DVDs of Three Stooges movies, all of which they brought up to the front of the store.

It was now mid-afternoon by the time they got out of the thrift store. "Now we have to get groceries and get home, the storm is supposed to start in not too long," Austin told her, waving her in the direction of the grocery store.

They wandered through the store pulling everything off shelves that looked appealing, which included a lot of snack food and candy. Austin, however, also said, "I've been wanting to make my mom's eggplant parmesan recipe, so let me grab the ingredients for that."

"Mmm that sounds amazing, my dad made that a few times, too, when I was a kid."

"Did your dad do a lot of cooking?" Austin asked.

"Yeah, he was the primary cook, my mom would always burn things when she tried. Actually, she really liked doing the yard work, and then they split the cleaning."

"That's awesome. My parents were very traditional gender roles people, but I helped both of them with chores so I learned a little bit of everything. I really liked cooking with my mom, it's when we got to hang out one-on-one the most."

Ally smiled warmly at him and followed him down the pasta aisle.

Together they carried the multiple bags back to where they had parked and threw them in the truck bed. The clouds were coming in darker now, so they hurried home, driving just a little faster than the speed limit.

"Let's just stash all the stuff at my place? I've got Bailey and the extra ingredients for the eggplant parmesan so you should just come over here tomorrow," Austin said to her.

"Sounds good," Ally responded, helping him carry the bags over. She gave Bailey a lot of head scratches and a belly rub before waving goodbye to Austin and heading back to her cabin.

She made herself some dinner and started reading the copy of the Bourne Identity she had picked up in town. She got sucked into the story until she was tired and when she looked up she saw that it had already started snowing. While she was getting ready for bed, she remembered how surprised Austin had been by her choice of books, and smiled. She liked surprising people, not being a cliché all the time. She realized how much Austin had left to learn about her, even though she was letting him in more than she ever would have expected. A few days had made them close, but nowhere near as close as she sensed they could be with more time.

Some lyrics came to mind, synthesizing all the thoughts swirling around and she scribbled in her notebook:

_Tell me that I'm worth it, I'll prove that I deserve it  
And I can be the me that you don't see_

_To be standing tall, no shadows at all  
That's all I really want to do  
To be a circle of one stepping into the sun  
Sharing the light that's here with you  
I'm here with you, oh woah_

Smiling at the beginning of the new song, she fell asleep quickly, tired from the day's activities.


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright, here's another chapter. I suspect some of you are getting impatient with the number of close calls on them kissing but you're just going to have to hang in there, consider it suspenseful! Also they're both afraid of getting hurt, so you can't blame them (me) too much for it!**

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Chapter 7

Ally woke up the next morning to a cloudy, white filled world of snow. She could see from the windows of the cabin that around six inches had fallen overnight, and according to her weather app it wasn't scheduled to stop until late afternoon. She put on an over-sized pair of sweatpants, her fuzziest socks, and a tank-top with a drapey cardigan over top. Since she was seeing Austin, though, she still brushed her hair out neatly and put on a little makeup.

She thought about making breakfast for herself, but shrugged and decided to let Austin make it instead. She rationalized her choice, thinking that he had stocked all the food at his cabin after all and she didn't want to have eaten if he was already planning to make breakfast for her.

When she got to his back door, Bailey was already there, scratching at the window and barking. She had alerted Austin, who pulled open the door before Ally could even knock.

"Hey there, snow day buddy!" he greeted her warmly.

She grinned back and then stomped the snow off her boots onto his doormat before stepping inside.

"You look very cozy, I approve," he commented as she shrugged out of her jacket.

"I'm assuming you haven't had breakfast yet?" she asked.

"Nah, waiting for you of course," he said, and she smiled, glad she had guessed right.

"Can I help with anything?" she asked.

"Wanna get utensils out and pour some coffee and juice? I've got some french toast just finishing up and some spiced grapefruits broiling in the oven.

"Mmm sounds delicious," Ally said before moving to grab the things he'd requested. She was surprised to realize she had already learned where everything was in his kitchen. Maybe it was just because their kitchens had very similar layouts but somehow it felt like… a step. It was the kind of thing that might take months in a relationship but which only took a couple of days under such confined circumstances.

As they sat down with their food, Ally asked, "So what things do you want to do today? I assume we're approaching this like a good old-fashioned school snow day where we do nothing we don't want to do?"

Austin nodded emphatically. "I would start with a game, and then maybe movies in the afternoon?"

"Yeah that sounds good, and then we'll cook dinner and more movies after dinner?"

"Perfect," he agreed.

After cleaning up dishes they pulled out the version of Operation they had picked up in the thrift store.

"As musicians who use their fingers a lot, we should be good at this," she said as they were setting it up.

"Mmhm, we should be great with our fingers," he agreed and when she looked up he caught her glance and waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. She blushed and slapped his shoulder.

They started out serious enough, but within a few turns Austin was making funny faces at her to break her focus as she was trying to play the game. In response, she sang pop songs intentionally badly to distract him and throw him off. Before long, they were giggling helplessly and it took them twice as long to get through a round of the game as it should have. Ally won and she blasted "We are the Champions" on her phone as she did a goofy victory dance. Austin couldn't take his eyes off of her, smiling broadly at her goofy antics.

When she finally plopped down across from him again, he asked "Three Stooges? One of those is short enough that we could finish it before lunch and then watch something longer after."

Ally rifled through the options in the box and picked one called "The Brideless Groom." They sat down on Austin's couch next to each other and he spread his arms out across the back of the couch behind her as she got the movie started. She settled back into the couch, leaving a few inches between them and then pressed play. They were both trying to focus on the movie, but in the back of each of their minds they were conscious of their proximity to one another. Ally noticed how clean and soapy he smelled, and he noticed how silky her hair looked. They still laughed at the movie and joked around about the ridiculous antics on screen, but both of them stayed slightly tense on the couch the whole time.

When the movie finished, Austin stretched his arms up over his head and leaned back against the pillows so he was half facing Ally. "Lunch?" he asked lazily.

"What about just getting out a bunch of cheese and crackers and olives and snacks and stuff?" Ally asked. "We can eat as much or as little as we want and keep watching stuff that way."

"Sure, sounds great," Austin replied.

They pulled a lot of food out of the fridge and Ally started cutting up cheese. Austin came up behind her and reached around her to get to the drawer with the knives that she was blocking. In order to give him access, she backed up straight into him so that their bodies were in contact for the first time that day and she felt a flush or warmth spread from where her back was touching his chest. She quickly shifted off to the side so he could reach the drawer without touching her, but the way he was smiling at her made her think he probably didn't mind the contact.

They piled fruit and cheese and crackers onto cutting boards and put it all out on the ottoman in front of the couch and grabbed a couple plates to eat off of.

"Wait, what movie are we starting?" he asked. She pulled her laptop out of the bag that she had brought over and pulled up her video files.

"Welllll I've got a bunch of old musicals. Some Pixar movies. The Martian and Blade Runner. In Bruges. Bunch of other stuff. Here, you browse, I'm good with any of these," she said, passing the computer to him. After a couple minutes of browsing he said, "Ok, embarrassing confession, I've never seen West Side Story, can we watch that?"

"Oh HELL YES, especially if you've never seen it," Ally answered, bouncing upright and looking at him with great excitement.

Austin laughed at her expression and pressed play.

Every time he tried to speak during the movie Ally would shush him, but right before every big musical number she would enthusiastically slap his shoulder and point at the screen, as if he wasn't already watching, which would inevitably make him laugh and she would glare at him for breaking the silence. He loved all the early big musical numbers, particularly the dance scene at the gym. Even if the color-saturated dance sequence was a little hokey, he could see why the directors had chosen it to show the mesmerizing nature of falling in love like that. They continued to eat all the food they had cut as they watched, eyes glued to the screen.

In the second half, when things got tense and the rumble happened, Ally instinctively scooted closer to him on the couch. By the time they reached the closing scene and Maria was singing to Tony, she was leaning against his side and his arm was wrapped around her, with his cheek resting on top of her head. Neither of them was even fully conscious that their position had changed so dramatically because they were so focused on the movie. When the credits rolled they stayed like that for a moment, processing all their emotions. He looked down at her and realized there were tears rolling down her cheeks so he hugged her tighter for a moment before reaching down and wiping the tears away with this thumb. She looked up at him and their faces were close again, and her breath caught. She could see that the movie had made him emotional, too. But she turned away again, resting her head against his chest again for a moment, before taking a deep breath and sitting up.

He didn't acknowledge the position they had just been in, but just said, "That was… intense. So good, though. Thanks for watching it with me."

"Of course, gotta get you some culture," she joked, smiling again, and he couldn't resist smiling back.

"Ok, so the eggplant parmesan recipe takes a while and we should start that," he told her and they stood up and headed to the kitchen.

Ally cleaned up the leftovers from their lunch and loaded the dishwasher while Austin got all the ingredients out. As he started slicing the eggplant he began singing "Tonight" quietly. When Maria's part came in she joined him and sang that part. Then they harmonized for the joint verses. Before she knew it they had sung through most of the songs in the show and the eggplant parmesan was in the oven cooking. She had thrown together a salad for the side and left it in the fridge.

"Hey, there's… something I want to show you," she said tentatively.

Austin looked at her curiously and she just took his hand and led him to the practice room after grabbing her song book. She had spent a few minutes in the last couple of days fleshing out No Ordinary Day, and she felt a sudden impulse to play for him one of the songs he had inspired. She wasn't ready to show him Break Down the Walls or The Me That You Don't See, but No Ordinary Day seemed like the right level of not-too-personal for the moment.

She sat down at the piano bench and he sat down on the stool next to her and watched her quietly. Ally took a deep breath and began to play, the piano and her voice the only sounds in the room. When she finished Austin smiled wide and said, "That was beautiful! What made you want to play it for me?"

Ally shrugged, not making eye contact, and muttered "I thought it was time you heard one of the songs I've written since you got here."

She glanced up and saw the surprise on his face and she blushed. Before he had a chance to say anything, the timer on his phone went off, signaling that their dinner was ready.

The tension vanished instantly when they had to focus on plating dinner and getting everything else ready. When they sat down to dinner, Austin suggested, "Why don't we use those conversation cards we picked up yesterday? I've been curious about them." Ally agreed and they pulled the first card out of the set, which read "What's the most unusual thing about your family?" The rest of the questions were similar, asking things like "What's the best excuse you've ever heard for being late?" and "What is your earliest food-based memory?" They swapped light-hearted stories as they ate. When they were both done with their plates, Ally leaned back and said "Wow, that was so delicious. You're such a good cook Austin."

"Hey, that salad was pretty great, too," he teased, deflecting the compliment.

They cleaned up the dishes and Austin said, "Why don't you pick the next movie?"

Ally went back to the couch and browsed through her films. She settled on King Kong, and when she looked up Austin was in front of her holding a carton of ice cream and two spoons in one hand and two glasses of wine in the other. She laughed and helped him set everything down without spilling anything.

They both ate out of the carton of ice cream as they watched the movie and he made her laugh by jokingly using his spoon to block her from getting ice cream. They watched this film a lot less seriously and talked through it about the amazing parts and the hokey parts. The movie was long, though and it was late by the time it finished. They were laying horizontally on the couch on opposite ends with their legs intertwined and Ally sighed, saying "I'm too lazy to move, this is too warm and comfy."

He stretched his long legs out until his feet were resting on her stomach and said, "Mm same, you make such a good pillow."

She laughed and pushed his feet off her, saying "Ew, gross, I don't want to smell your feet thank you very much."

Bailey was lying next to the couch so they petted her together for a few minutes, their fingers occasionally touching.

"Okay, I officially need to go home now to my own bed," Ally said.

"You could crash here," Austin said casually. He saw the surprise cross her face, and he said, "Oh, I just mean on the couch. If you were too tired to walk back to your place."

Ally's face relaxed and she just replied, "Nah, I'll sleep better in my bed. Gotta get my beauty rest."

Austin replied, "Nah, you got all the beauty you need," and winked, before picking up their wine glasses and bringing them to the sink.

She got up, blushing yet again, and put on her coat and boots. Just as she zipped up, Austin appeared by her side and said, "Thanks for coming over for a proper snow day, this was really fun."

She smiled at him and he leaned in for a hug. They stayed in the hug several seconds longer than strictly necessary, but she liked the feeling of his arms around her.

"Ok, goodnight Austin," she said, as she stepped out the back door.

As she tried to fall asleep in her bed that night she kept replaying all the times their hands had touched, their faces had been close, and he had flirted with her. Ally was starting to think that the feelings she had for Austin, which she would barely admit to herself, were reciprocated.


	8. Chapter 8

**Another week, another chapter. The song I used in this chapter is not an Austin and Ally song, it's actually a Fountains of Wayne song. I'm not really sure about the demographics of my readers here, so I'm not sure if any of you will have paid attention to this, but this week Adam Schlesigner died of coronavirus, and he was, among other things, one of the song writers and band members of Fountains of Wayne. They were my absolute favorite band for many years, specifically in high school, and I've listened to a lot of other projects he's worked on, so his loss hit me a bit hard this week. There's not much we can do when celebrities who have impacted our lives but never knew us die, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to do a really tiny thing and dedicate this chapter to him and all the joy his music has brought to my life. **

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Chapter 8

After all their time together the previous day, Ally thought she should leave Austin alone, at least for part of the day, so when she woke up she resolved to head back into the studio and keep working on her album since she'd been ignoring it for the past few days.

She ate breakfast, and then made herself a cup of Earl Gray tea to bring into the studio with her. She looked at all the songs already started in her song book but her mind was still on Austin and the previous day. The way they were already getting to know each other so well kept surprising her, no matter how much she turned it over in her mind. Her brain drifted towards what life would be like if they never left here, just kept living in isolation with just each other to talk to. She flipped to a new page in her journal and started writing.

_This morning under a waking glow  
The sun filled our room like December snow  
Like morning through an old window  
There's a place in your head I will always know_

_To the same world born, two of a kind  
If it's on your mind, it'll be on mine 'cause  
I know you well  
Like the soil in the ground_

_Grass grown in the shadow of a bell  
And if the bell will never toll  
You and me grow old  
I hope we'll live to tell_

_How you know I know you knew I know you well_

With those song lyrics out of her system she was able to focus again on the other songs. She managed to make significant progress by mid-afternoon on The Me That You Don't See. She made some lunch and then came back to the studio to try and record a demo. After a few takes, she played them back, but felt like there was something missing. It needed more instruments, she wanted a guitar part to flesh it out. And who better to play a guitar part than the one and only Austin Moon?

She sent a quick, cryptic message to Austin, asking him to come over in an hour and bring his guitar. He answered "Ok…?" She then made a quick dinner for herself and ate it. Then she was just waiting for Austin. Ally hated waiting. It made her brain spin and run through all of the socially awkward possibilities that confronted her in any conversation with any human being. The fact that she had feelings for Austin only made it more likely she was going to do something ridiculous. She took a deep breath and tried to remind herself that Austin had the magical power of making her feel comfortable so she really had nothing to worry about.

Austin walked up to her back door five minutes late and she was already waiting by the door so she opened it before he had a chance to knock. He had his acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder.

"Did I bring the right guitar?" he asked, wearing a mildly confused and amused look on his face.

"Yes, that'll work great! Sorry I didn't really tell you what was up, I'm trying to record a demo of a song I just finished and I wanted to flesh out the sound a bit more and add a guitar part behind the piano. Do you mind?"

"Oh, that sounds fun. Lead the way m'lady!"

They headed back to the studio, and as always their musical chemistry took off. She played the song for him once, he made a couple of melodic suggestions she really liked, and then they tried it together because he had already memorized the chords.

"Could you actually sing some harmonies with me?" Ally asked, and the next time through Austin sang with her on the chorus and added some backing vocals behind the verses. When Ally replayed that take, she smiled broadly. "This is perfect, exactly what I imagined!"

Austin grinned and they high-fived in excitement. "I really like it Ally, I see what you meant about really wanting all your songs to be personal to you. It suits your musical style perfectly and makes you so… genuine. I'm sure your fans love that, that they get an authentic piece of Ally Dawson every time they hear a song of yours."

Ally blushed a little, but smiled her thanks at him. "Come on, I've got some wine, let's have a celebratory drink?"

She poured them both glasses of wine in the stemless glasses she had in the cabin and they sat on the couch together. "So what did you do with your day since you didn't have me bothering you the whole time?" she jokingly asked him.

"Ummm slept in, made some food. Bailey was being a little quiet today, I'm wondering if she's missing her friends at the dog park, so I hung out with her a lot, tried to get her to play and snuggled with her in front of an old Springsteen concert video."

"That's quite a romantic day in with your favorite girl," Ally laughed, nudging him in the arm.

"Oh you know me, romantic and caring partner, willing to do anything to cheer up those he lives with."

"I do know that." Ally said seriously, and he just smiled and looked away momentarily.

"I really liked that song," he said, changing the subject quickly. "Was that one of the ones you've written in the past week?"

"Yeah. Just a couple days ago actually."

"What does it mean to you? I hope it doesn't mean you think I don't know the real you?" he asked in a worried tone.

"No, no. More like… I don't know, meeting new people I'm always worried that the more I show them of myself the more likely it is that they'll run away from my quirks and my eccentricities. Nobody wants to deal with all my planning and anxiety, ya know?" she answered.

Austin rolled his eyes and responded, "You know we all have stuff like that right? You just have to find people whose quirks line up well with yours, either because they're the same so you understand each other, or the total opposite, so that you balance each other out."

"That's very wise, Mr. Moon," Ally said, feeling a little bit better, not consciously realizing that Austin running screaming from their friendship had even been a thing she was worried about.

Their glasses were both empty so Austin got up to refill them. As he was standing in the kitchen he asked, "So how many songs are you working on right now?"

"Hmmmm..." Ally said thoughtfully, counting in her head. "I think it's six, but that's counting the two we finished together, so really there are just four in the works."

"Woah, Ally, that's like over halfway through an album, that's incredible!"

"Yeah, but that assumes I'll be able to finish all those. A lot of things stay half done or I never find the inspiration to fix a song so that it sounds like me. That's why I keep this journal of stuff, so I can look back and maybe steal lines from old half-finished songs. I never lose lyrics I've worked on in the past, even though they're not quite done."

"That's so smart, I love that. Then a song can reflect where you were not just in a specific moment but across time." Austin brought their glasses back over and took a sip.

Ally nodded, not having thought of it quite that way before. "What about you, have you been working on any of your own music?"

Austin shook his head. "Nah, I was trying really hard to force the song-writing before coming out here and was effectively just banging my head against a wall. So I figured being up here would clear my head and maybe (for the first time ever) allow some organic lyrics to come out of my brain."

"Oh, geeze, I'm sorry I've been roping you into doing so much music stuff with me then!" Ally exclaimed, worried.

"No, no, we haven't been working on lyrics together, which is my real problem. And honestly, collaborating with you might be exactly the sort of thing to get me out of my rut. I love watching a real lyric writer at work, you've been teaching me a lot."

"Oh come on, Austin, we're the same age we've been doing this for about as long, I can't teach you anything."

"Are you kidding? It's like we talked about, we're really different people so we balance each other. But it also means I can learn from the process that's natural for you and incorporate it into my own process. Just by being you, you teach me so much!"

Ally was a little overwhelmed by this praise, so she leaned in for a quick hug and he squeezed her back, only slightly surprised.

They continued to chat about less emotional subjects, and eventually opened a second bottle of wine. They were three drinks in each so Ally was moving from tipsy to drunk and she was enjoying Austin's company enough to not worry about it.

"So Ally," Austin said in a teasing voice, "are you going to write a thank you to me in the liner notes of your album when it comes out?"

"Umm, honestly, probably, why? What did you have in mind?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh, you know, something like 'this record is dedicated to Austin Moon, my dreamy muse who I'm constantly thinking about and flirting with' or 'this record is dedicated to a tall, blonde, mystery man who really knows the depths of my heart.' Either of those would satisfy me." He grinned at her and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Ally blushed, remembering her dream about him and wondering if he could read her mind. She rolled her eyes and again jokingly punched him on the shoulder. "You wish, blondie. It'll probably say 'to the annoying neighbor I'm so glad I don't see anymore, thanks for driving me into the studio just so I wouldn't see you.'" They both laughed, knowing that was an absolute lie, but Austin gave her shove on the shoulder back.

Ally set her wine glass down and glared at him, "Hey mister, watch it."

Austin pretended to be scared, but then he spotted her song book on the table next to them. "Ooh, look, I want to read all the songs about me," he practically giggled as he also put down his wine glass and grabbed the book.

Ally responded with "DON'T TOUCH MY BOOK!" and launched herself at him to get it back. She wound up sprawled on top of him, desperately reaching for her book that he was keeping out of her grasp. She started to tickle his side to make him drop the book, which he did, but he also flipped them over so she was on the bottom and he could pin her hand down to stop her from tickling him. She giggled and reached to start tickling him with her other hand but he caught that hand and pinned it next to her head, too.

Only when Ally could no longer move did she realize how close they were. His whole body was pressed up against her and his face was only a few inches from hers. She saw the recognition in his eyes, too, and then saw that he was slowly gravitating towards her. The alcohol in her system shut down any kind of flight response she had and if she had had her hands free she would have just pulled him down into a kiss. But instead it was all dependent on Austin, and he was moving so slowly. His forehead rested against hers and she closed her eyes when she felt how close his lips were to hers, expecting him to close the remaining distance any moment.

Instead, Austin abruptly pulled away, shaking his head. "Um, it's late, I should probably get going," he said, releasing her hands and standing up. Ally blinked, unsure of what had just happened. Did he really just pull away from her after all that? After their days of flirtatious behavior and after he had constantly sought out her company? After she had played one of her most personal songs for him today?

Before she could even respond he said, "Goodnight Ally," and disappeared out the door. She could feel her confusion turning to frustration and hurt.

"I guess he doesn't like me after all..." she thought to herself. That feeling made her shut down emotionally. She had all these feelings for him building up and now she thought she needed to lock them all away and feel nothing for him. Better not to get hurt, not to let him in any closer.

She drank a glass of water (she was always responsible about her drinking, she never got hangovers) and crawled into bed, curled in a ball. It didn't take long to fall asleep but the whole night she dreamed of Austin rejecting her, over and over.

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**Sorry it ends sad, but there needs to be some drama! I promise happier things in future chapters!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ally woke up earlier than usual the next morning and her stomach instantly clenched into a knot as she remembered what had happened the night before. She tried rolling over, pulling a pillow over her head, and going back to asleep, but she couldn't get her brain to turn off. Even once she gave in and sat up she knew her stomach wouldn't let her eat a proper breakfast. She knew from past experience that the only way to get into a better head space was to go to the studio and work on her music.

She was still in sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt with her hair up in a high ponytail when she got to her studio. She had made a mug of soothing chamomile tea and brought it with her, which she set down on top of the piano. She flipped through her song book and tried looking at the last few songs that she'd written in the past week, but they all seemed too happy to be therapeutic, not to mention the fact that they reminded her of all the feelings she was trying to suppress.

When she flipped further back in her book, though, a page caught her eye with some lyrics she had started months ago, but never finished. She started humming and then sang out loud:

_I'm the girl in the corner of the room  
The one you never notice  
Getting lost among the stars in the sky  
Like a picture out of focus_

_I'm the sun in your eyes  
Yet you don't see me  
I wear no disguise  
But you don't see me_

_I'm a total surprise  
And you don't see me  
I'm so agonized  
That you don't see me_

She liked the tune that had naturally come to her and she started playing it on piano, adding chords with her left hand while her right played the melody. As always, music sucked her in and she was able to forget everything else while she worked on the song, subconsciously expressing her feelings through the lyrics but only focusing consciously on the music development.

Ally was yanked out of her reverie by a pounding on her back door. She frowned, assuming it was Austin and not wanting to talk to him, so she didn't immediately get up to answer. A moment later she heard him frantically call out, "Ally! Ally? Please it's an emergency."

Immediately concerned, forgetting her own hurt feelings, Ally leapt up to answer the door. She found Austin on her back porch, a frantic look in his eyes and Bailey in his arms.

"Ally I'm sorry I'm so sorry I know we need to talk but I'm so scared. Bailey has been throwing up for hours and I can't get her to eat or drink anything. I really need to take her to the vet but I've barely slept and I don't think I should drive right now. Please, please, will you drive us?"

"Of course, Austin, just give me one minute. You can sit down on the couch, I'll be right back." She tried to make her voice as calm and steady as she could to not freak Austin out any more than he already was, but she was extremely worried, too.

Ally dashed upstairs and pulled on the first jeans and sweater she could find. She didn't bother to brush her teeth or fix her hair, she just grabbed a big tote bag and threw in a book and then in the kitchen she found some power bars and bottles of water and apples which she added to the bag. She went to grab the keys to her Prius, but Austin called out, "The snow isn't quite melted, we should take my truck so we have the extra traction."

Ally panicked for a moment at the thought of driving a vehicle that big and unknown to her, but she pushed it from her mind. She would do what she had to.

"You know the way to the vet? You can give me directions?" she asked as they headed out the door.

"Yes," Austin answered quietly, stroking Bailey's head as she made some panting and whimpering noises.

They got into the truck, Ally scrambling up to the high seat. It took a few minutes of adjusting the seat and the steering wheel, but she got comfortable and they were off. "How long a drive is it?" she asked, looking at Bailey with a worried glance.

"You're taking a right up here," Austin pointed, then said, "and it's about half an hour."

The drive was silent except for Austin's instructions and the small, sad noises Bailey was making. They were both consumed by worry for Bailey and couldn't think of anything else. Ally, who had never had a dog, didn't know how abnormal this was, if at all, but based on Austin's level of concern she had to assume this wasn't normal for Bailey.

Ally dropped Austin off at the main door to the vet and he rushed inside with Bailey while Ally parked the truck. The vet didn't seem too busy, thankfully, and since it was an emergency she hoped they would look at Bailey soon.

She went into the building and found that Austin wasn't in the waiting room. She sat down to wait and pulled out her book and a power bar. She managed to nibble on the power bar but the Bourne Identity couldn't hold her attention. She kept glancing up at the door every time she heard anyone move or a door open down the hallway.

After what seemed like an hour, but which was in reality much more like fifteen minutes, Austin came back out into the waiting room. He saw her and dropped into the chair next to her.

"They're doing scans now, but the vet thinks they're going to have to do a surgery. It should just be outpatient, it's not too major, but she'll need some quiet days at home to recover and I'll have to give her meds and everything."

"Oh Austin," Ally breathed out, relieved that Bailey was probably going to be fine, but knowing that he must be overwhelmed by the idea of her going into surgery. "It's going to be okay," she said, trying to be reassuring. She reached over and squeezed his hand, and he held on tightly, not letting her take her hand back.

They sat quietly for a while, staring at the floor. Then she asked, "Do you want some food? I brought some small things. Power bar?" She held one up for him. Austin shook his head, but she said, "Come on, you're no use to Bailey if you've starved to death before her surgery is over." He gave her a very weak smile but he took the power bar from her, releasing her hand.

She pulled her book back out and, now that she knew what was happening with Bailey and that things were going to be okay, she was able to focus on the words in front of her. Some time passed, and Austin eventually asked, "So… what part of the story are you in?"

She understood that he wanted to talk about something to take his mind off Bailey, so, even though she knew he had seen the movie, she explained the plot from the beginning to the point she had reached and told him her observations so far. Austin was very subdued, not really saying much and only nodding his head, but she could tell that he was listening and some of the tension was leaving his body. When they had finished that topic, she began to tell him about her thoughts for her next album and tour and what the theme was going to be. She reached out and held his hand again as she talked at him, and he laced their fingers together.

Two hours passed in this manner, and then more time passed and Ally lost track of the time. She successfully convinced Austin to continue eating a little bit at a time over the course of their wait, and she kept telling him about anything that popped into her mind in a quiet, calm tone so that they didn't bother anyone else in the waiting room. He seemed to barely hear her sometimes, but other times she could see him listening attentively. She could only hope that she was helping.

Some time later, the vet came out of the door between the waiting room and the offices and called, "Austin Moon?" Austin got up like a zombie and followed the vet back, leaving Ally to wait by herself. A little while later he came back out, Bailey in his arms once more. She was looking pretty out of it from the anesthesia, but Austin at least had a much calmer facial expression, and even the beginnings of a smile.

"Hey, let's head out Ally," he smiled at her.

She stood up and stroked the fur on Bailey's head and scratched behind her ears, earning a grateful glance from the dog.

"I'll drive this time, you just hold Bailey. She loves you so I know you'll be just as calming for her as I would be," he said to her. "I just want to feel… in control of something even if it's just a stupid car."

Ally nodded, ready to do whatever would help him, and got in the passenger seat, where he gently lay Bailey down on her lap. Ally started stroking Bailey very soothingly as Austin pulled out of the parking lot.

"She's going to be okay," he said after a minute. "She had the surgery and she's a little drugged up right now but she's healthy again. The vet gave me some meds that I have to make sure she takes but other than that she just needs some rest to fully recuperate."

"That's great Austin, I'm so, so glad."

"Thanks for coming with me, Ally."

They were silent for the rest of the trip and Ally had time to let all her anxiety for Bailey fade away so that her fears and angers about the previous night built up again. By the time they made it back to Austin's place, she was again confused and hurt and silent. She was prepared to just head back to her own cabin as soon as they got back, but it was early evening and Austin said, "Come on, I owe you for driving me and Bailey, let me make you dinner."

She resisted for a minute, arguing that he didn't owe her anything, but he persisted and she eventually gave in. She sat on the couch, quietly petting Bailey as he worked in the kitchen. Ally had never seen him as quiet and subdued as he had been all day after the initial surge of his panic. She didn't mind the silence, though, since it let them ignore the topic she knew they would have to eventually tackle.

When he had their dinners plated he brought them over to the couch, explaining that this way they could stay with Bailey. He turned on the TV and put on the movie Balto. "It's her favorite, she finds it very relaxing," he said. Ally couldn't help but laughing a little, and she felt her own tension ease, even as she regretted letting her guard down again a little.

They ate quietly and when the movie ended she could feel that Bailey was breathing slower and was fast asleep. Austin took her dishes from her so she didn't have to get up and disturb Bailey, whose head was on her lap. He brought two glasses of wine back with him and handed her one.

"Okay, look, I know we need to talk. I've obviously been all over the place emotionally today so… I don't really know how this is going to go, but I'll do my best," he said honestly, not making eye contact with her.

"Austin, if you don't want to talk about this it's fine. You don't like me, I just misunderstood what was going on here, and it's fine. I've had guys not like me before." Ally tried to maintain a lighthearted tone but she couldn't make eye contact with him either.

He looked up at her with a pang of regret in his eyes when she said this. "Oh Ally, no. No that's not it at all. You haven't misinterpreted anything. I'm just… scared. I don't know how else to put it. I haven't dated anybody seriously since my engagement broke off. And I certainly haven't been this… attracted to anybody, attracted both physically and emotionally, since then. Maybe ever, actually. I don't know it just feels like a lot and it hasn't been that long but I feel like things are really intense and personal between us already. I didn't even realize how skiddish I was about commitment until we got so close to, you know, last night, and my flight instinct just kicked in so strongly. I knew the choice was mine and my choice, made entirely unconsciously, was to run away like a child. You didn't deserve that, and I'm sorry."

The look on Ally's face had evolved over the course of his monologue, from confusion to relief that she hadn't misread everything, to empathy for what was going on with him.

"I know what that's like Austin. And if we hadn't had a couple of glasses of wine last night that probably would have been my response, too, and it wouldn't have come to a head like this. You know because I've told you that I'm very guarded a lot of the time with my feelings and it's been… intense to not feel that way around you."

Austin nodded, relieved that she understood. Then silence overcame them. They had both basically admitted that they liked each other. In fact, to Ally, liked seemed like too tame a word. They had admitted to having the strongest feelings that either of them had every had about anybody for each other. Now neither of them knew what to say. So they kept stroking Bailey as she slept, enjoying when their fingers touched, and sipping their wine. Maybe there was nothing else that needed to be said right then, Ally decided.

Between the glass of wine, the exhausting emotions of the day, and the low sleep from the previous night, they soon both fell asleep on the couch, hands still resting on Bailey as she slept with them.

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**I've never actually had a pet so if I got everything wrong about what it's like to go to the vet, I apologize. I tried to keep it vague enough that I couldn't possibly have messed it up too bad. **

**Also, to the reviewer who said they had a story idea for me, I think you sent your review as a guest review so I couldn't message you back. But I'd love to hear your idea, so feel free to message me!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Fair warning, this is a very fluffy chapter. I hope it is the kind of escapsim you were all hoping for when you started this story!**

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Chapter 10

Ally woke up fairly early the next morning. Her body ached from the strange position she had fallen asleep in and she was momentarily confused by her surroundings. She realized after a moment or two that she was half reclined on Austin's couch, and her hand was still on top of his, resting on Bailey's back. Bailey and Austin were both still asleep, and she enjoyed seeing how peaceful they looked together. Austin's head was tipped far back against the top of the back of the couch and she winced when she thought about how bad a neck cramp he was going to have when he did wake up.

She shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position, but even that slight motion caused Bailey to raise her head and look at her sleepily.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she whispered to Bailey, scratching her gently behind her ears.

"Good morning to you, too," Austin responded with his eyes still closed, grinning.

Ally blushed and shoved his shoulder lightly. When he looked at her she just rolled her eyes.

Austin turned his attention back to Bailey and started petting her gently. He sat up in order to pull her slightly more into his lap and gave her scratches in all the places that made her make pleased little noises. The two of them sat like that for a while, giving Bailey love and attention, until Austin's stomach growled.

"Breakfast?" Ally asked.

"Yeah, let's do it," Austin replied. He began pulling items out of the fridge: red onion, cheese, fresh thyme, and the eggs. Ally watched as he first browned the onions and added the rest of the ingredients. She found some fruit in his fridge and began chopping it up for a fruit salad for next to the eggs. Before long, Austin grabbed his phone and put on some relaxed folk music that Ally didn't recognize. As they worked they swayed to the beat.

Ally couldn't get what he said the previous night out of her head, unsurprisingly. She didn't think she needed to bring it up or press him for more of his feelings because everything that had needed to be said had been, but it seemed like forward momentum in their relationship and she didn't know how to keep that movement going.

They sat down to breakfast and Austin asked, "So, you have any plans for today?"

Ally shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary, maybe work on my music, cook some, read some. No specific plans, though. You?"

"I think I need to get out of here for a while. Bailey is going to sleep most of the day anyway, after yesterday, and I'm thinking a hike might be in order. Get my emotions back down from panic level to more even-keeled. You want to come? There's a trail ten minutes down the road that's supposed to have a beautiful view at the end."

Ally smiled, "Yeah, that sounds great if you're sure that Bailey will be okay here."

"The vet said there's no real worries about complications that I need to watch for here and we'll only be gone for like an hour or hour and a half. Should be no problem."

"Let me have some time to go home and change and feel like a human again but, yeah, I'd be up for the hike with you," Ally answered.

"Why don't you go do that, I'll clean up here," Austin offered.

"Are you sure?" Ally asked, but Austin convinced her that he didn't mind doing the dishes.

She headed back to her cabin, where she took a very warm shower. She lingered under the hot water, relaxing all the muscles that had been tensed the whole previous day and thinking over the day's events. She also wondered if the hike would be awkward, now that they knew they liked each other, but basically nothing was ever awkward with Austin so that didn't seem like a legitimate concern. She also remembered her dream, of their kiss under snowy trees, and couldn't help but fantasize a little, before the water ran cold, snapping her out of it.

After the shower she took her time blow-drying her hair and curling it, before throwing on a pair of fleece-lined leggings and a thick cable knit sweater. She left her hair down and pulled a knit cap on over her curls. Finally, she got her boots on and headed back to Austin's.

He was ready and waiting, freshly showered and also wearing a thick sweater since it was only thirty degrees out. "Ready?" he asked, and she nodded.

They went and hopped in his truck after giving Bailey some extra scratches, and they headed down the road. In just a few minutes Austin pulled onto a small dirt road that ended in a clearing that had room for about five cars, although no others were there at the moment.

They walked in silence along the trail for a few minutes. Then Austin asked, "What's your favorite memory that involves snow?"

Ally laughed at the randomness of the question but was grateful for a conversation starter. "Ummmm… since I grew up in Miami, probably the first time I saw snow which was on a trip to New York City when I was in high school. I was so excited that it looked just like New York City in the movies, I couldn't stop giggling every time we walked down the street in it. Snow is magical like that, especially if you've never experienced it before. You?"

"We did trips to my grandparents in Michigan a lot as a kid so I had experienced snow from an early age. My most memorable is probably the first time I went skiing? I was also in high school and we went one Christmas break and it was incredible. I loved the rush of moving that fast. I've always like sports but skiing was like flying and that made it so much more… exhilarating to me."

Ally smiled and nodded. "I went bungee jumping once and felt exactly the same way."

"YOU went BUNGEE JUMPING?" Austin asked in shock, stopping to face her.

She just laughed. "Yes, Austin, I went bungee jumping. I don't know, sometimes I get in moods to do something a little crazy. It doesn't happen often but when it does it's always big."

Austin grinned, liking that fact about her.

Talking flowed more easily after that, and they discussed the normal random topics: music, memories, family, the future. Everything Ally often found it hard to talk about with other people and which Austin didn't always bother thinking about.

At the end of the trail, there was an incredibly scenic view overlooking the lake near their cabins and the hills that surrounded it. The sun was out and it reflected off the surface of the lake. The sky was a cloudless blue and all the trees as far as they could see were still covered in snow and weighing the branches down. The brilliance of the day and the crisp air made Ally close her eyes and take a deep breath, trying to take it all in. When she opened her eyes she glanced at Austin, only to realize that he was already watching her, smiling. She smiled back, but broke eye contact, blushing a little. Even the thoughts in her head stuttered and shut down under his gaze. They sat on a rock at the overlook for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the view together. He reached over and held her glove-covered hand for a minute, further cementing the connection she felt with him in the moment.

Before long, though, she was shivering, even in her heavy sweater and puffy coat. Austin notice and suggested, "Why don't we start heading back? Probably don't want to leave Bailey alone much longer anyway."

Ally agreed, knowing he was really suggesting it to help her warm up. They started walking back down the path and Ally was more attuned to all the details around her. The heavy snow on the branches, the light shining through the trees and reflecting off patches of snow, squirrels running about in the trees, and the dry dead leaves still visible under some patches of snow. She smiled, feeling much more relaxed.

"This was a great idea, Austin. You were right about it being relaxing after everything..." He smiled back at her.

They were almost three-quarters of the way back to the truck when a bird started singing loudly above them. Ally looked up, trying to spot it, just as it landed on a branch directly above her head. The bird's weight caused the snow-covered branch to wobble and all the snow fell directly onto Ally's face. She let out a surprised noise and looked back down, shaking the snow off her. Austin started giggling at her helplessly as the surprised expression wore off her face.

"Oh man, that was priceless," he laughed, but he calmed down enough to come closer to her and help her get some of the snow out of her hair and off the collar of her coat. He was standing very close to her, and he reached up to wipe a bit of snow out of her eyebrow with his thumb. Her eyes met his, and his hand moved from her face to stroking her hair back from her shoulder. Ally smiled, no longer afraid and not wanting to run away, but also assuming that Austin still wasn't ready for anything to happen between them.

To her surprise, he bent down quickly and closed the distance between them, using his hand behind her head to pull her to him. Their lips met and Ally's mind went blank, except to notice how soft his lips were.

It started out as a very gentle kiss, but she reached her arms up so they wrapped around his neck and his other hand dropped to her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. They stood there, tightly pressed against each other, oblivious to the world around them. Austin pushed the kiss even further, walking Ally back until her back hit the tree they were under. The impact of her back on the tree, however, sent another cascade of snow down on them and they broke apart, laughing. This time Ally reached up and wiped away the snow from Austin's hair. She was still a little breathless from the kiss but was grinning broadly.

Austin didn't want to push the moment any further. They were outside, cold, and now covered in snow, so it wasn't exactly an opportune moment for kissing her senseless, but he knew it had been a magical first kiss for both of them, exactly the sort of thing he always rolled his eyes at in romantic comedies. So, instead of kissing her again, he smiled warmly at her and grabbed her hand to get them back up on the path and walking towards the truck.

For her part, Ally was left a bit speechless. Her dream had come true, after all, and it was better than she had imagined. Impossibly cinematic and cliché perhaps, but wonderful nonetheless. And natural. Further proof that she never actually had to worry about awkwardness between her and Austin. Everything was perfect naturally and didn't require her to overthink anything.

They soon got in the truck and drove back to the cabins. When they arrived back at Austin's cabin they found Bailey still fast asleep.

For the rest of the afternoon they spent time together quietly. Ally read and Austin browsed the internet. But they were always in constant physical contact, whether it was their legs intertwined on the couch or their hands resting on top of each other. And neither of them could stop smiling.

They ate dinner and Ally decided it was time to head back to her cabin. Before she pulled the door, open, though, Austin pulled her to him and kissed her again, one long, slow, deep kiss before opening the door for her and saying goodnight. They were both grinning like idiots when she left.

Before she fell asleep that night she pulled out her song book, as had become a regular occurrence since Austin showed up, and scribbled down some lyrics that were rolling around in her mind:

_I think about you every morning when I open my eyes  
I think about you every evening when I turn out the lights  
I think about you every moment, every day of my life  
You're on my mind all the time, it's true_

_I think about you, you you, you you_

She smiled to herself and quickly fell asleep once she turned out the lights, replaying the day's events in her mind.

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**So let me know what you think, drop me a review!**

**To my reviewer with the story suggestion: that sounds like an awesome idea. Not sure that I'll be able to tackle it while I'm still writing this story because it'll take some time to plot that out well and I'm not sure it can/should be done in a one-shot, but I agree it sounds like a good fit for my writing style! Thanks for the idea!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Ally woke up smiling, her room full of sun. She hadn't felt so relaxed in a while. Instead of making breakfast right away like she usually did, she first took a shower and pulled on leggings and a baggy shirt, pulling her hair up into a loose bun. Then she wandered into the studio and sat at the piano. Instead of wanting to create her own music, she felt a deep desire to get lost in somebody else's, so she started playing the classical pieces she had memorized a long time ago for high school piano recitals and auditions on piano. The rippling songs and the intricate fingerings brought her joy and she was relaxed enough that it felt almost like the music was flowing out of her, rather than being caused by her own intentional actions.

She didn't have her phone on her and there was no clock in the studio so she had no idea how long it had been when she heard the studio door squeak open. She turned and saw Austin, who was looking at her with such warmth and joy she blushed instinctively.

"Sorry, I hope I didn't startle you," he said quickly, "but you didn't answer my knock and the back door was unlocked."

Ally facepalmed and replied, "God, I must have been so distracted last night I forgot to lock it… better not get in that habit. But no, no worries, you didn't startle me."

"Oh, distracted were you? I wonder what could possibly have been so engrossing a thought that you, perfect, planning Ally Dawson, could have forgotten to lock your back door," he teased, grinning at her. Then he sat down on the piano bench, his legs on the opposite side of the bench from hers, and leaned in. One hand slid into her hair, the other wrapped around her waist, as he gently pulled her to him and brushed his lips against hers. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in closer. They kissed for a moment before he pulled back and asked, "Is this okay?" and she smiled and nodded, answering him further by pulling him back into the kiss.

Eventually, they broke apart, foreheads resting against each other's, and made eye contact. Before he could start kissing her again, Ally proposed, "Breakfast?"

Austin leaned back a little, putting some more space between them, and smiled even wider. "Yes! You have a magic sense for when I'm about to pass out from starvation."

Ally rolled her eyes. "With your appetite that's about once an hour," she quipped.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, dragging her back towards her kitchen. He proposed his own excellent pancakes and she agreed readily. Together, they mixed the batter, added some berries, and flipped the pancakes, occasionally sneaking in a few kisses.

They ate mostly in silence, still grinning at each other. While Austin did the dishes, Ally sat on the counter next to him, drying whatever he handed her and piling the clean and dry dishes on the counter. When he finished with the last dish, he dried his hands and then stood in front of her, between her legs, as she sat on the counter. He grinned mischievously and then put his hands on her waist and pulled her forward so she was sitting at the very edge of the counter and her legs were practically wrapped around him. He kept his hands there as she leaned forward to kiss him. He pressed his body tightly against hers, and their mouths opened at the same time, deepening the kiss as she made a faint, pleased sound into the kiss. His hands slipped under the hem of her loose shirt and up her bare back, feeling the muscles of her lower back and gently massaging them. Her own hands crept up into his hair and then one slipped down to his upper back, to bring him closer to her. One of his hands slid up, under her shirt, to the back of her neck. At this point they were both breathing heavily, and could feel their rapid heartbeats everywhere skin touched skin. His hands slid around towards the front of her body, stopping temporarily at her hips and then caressing the skin of her lower torso. His thumbs skimmed the band of her bra, but went no further, and his hands then returned to exploring her back.

Ally had rarely had such a heady experience. She could feel her breathing speeding up, her heart going twice its normal speed, and her mind going blank while she kissed Austin. It was perfect and sexy without pushing any of her boundaries or expecting more from her than she wanted. Austin's lips moved down to her jawline, then down to her neck, trailing kisses all along its length and her head fell back slightly. He found his way to her earlobe and then back along her jawline to her lips. They kissed a few more minutes and just as Ally thought she was going to explode from the happiness and sexual tension, Austin pulled back, panting.

"Well, we certainly know that part works. Wow," he breathed out.

"Yeah, wow, for sure," Ally smiled back.

They spent the rest of the day doing more mundane things. They took Bailey on a short walk since she was feeling a bit better and was clearly longing to get outside. Then they played some card games, both of them happy when the other person won. They made a dinner of tacos together, too, and then watched another of the Three Stooges movies. This time there was no accidental touching or friend-boundary crossing, only explicit cuddling. Austin would regularly lean over and kiss the top of her head, a gesture Ally found extremely comforting, and she leaned against his shoulder, enjoying the warmth radiating out of him.

Just spending time together was enough to make Ally feel blissful. She wasn't thinking about the past, and she wasn't thinking about the future, she was just living in the present. It was such a rare feeling for her, she didn't know quite how to interpret it, but she decided to just run with it and stick with not overthinking things for the time being.

When the movie ended, they continued to lie on the couch together. They shifted gradually until Ally was tucked into Austin's side with his arm around her and her head resting just below his shoulder. "Mmm, this is perfect," she sighed contentedly.

"You know what would be more perfect?" he asked suggestively. Before she could answer he had pulled her body up slightly so that they were face to face and then leaned in and kissed her. Ally smiled into the kiss because she couldn't help but laugh at his cheesiness. The kiss built for a bit, and then Austin pulled back and said, "Now THAT was perfect. I can't believe I have to leave this perfection in only three more days."

Ally was about to lean in and kiss him again when she processed his words. "What do you mean… leave?" she asked carefully.

He cocked his head to the side and said, "Well, I only reserved the cabin for two weeks, which is over in three weeks. Did you think I was staying here for forever?"

Ally sat up abruptly, color rising to her cheeks. She gave him a pained look, and then looked away, unable to make eye contact. Her body language shifted abruptly and she curled up on the couch, sitting up with her arms wrapped around her legs, with her knees tucked under her chin.

"Ally, what's wrong?" Austin asked, truly perplexed.

"Austin, you just gave me that whole speech the other day. How I was special or something to you and how you hadn't opened up to somebody like this since, well, your engagement. _Of course_ I thought you were going to be here longer. How could somebody who was afraid to open up do so, just to leave again? Or was that your point the whole time? That you were only temporarily opening up to me because you knew it was going to end so quickly and you didn't have to worry about any long-term consequences?"

"No, Ally, no. I just, I don't see what you're getting so worked up about. Yes, this has been very special to me and yes, I think you mark a turning point for me and my ability to open up again. Me leaving in three days doesn't change that. And it doesn't have to change us necessarily. I mean we live in a day and age with cellphones and Skype and everything else, we could be constantly in contact if we wanted. And even if you didn't want that, I would still think this was totally worth it because getting to know you, Ally, is a life-changing thing for me. I wouldn't have it any other way, even if you never wanted to talk to me again."

She looked at him, baffled. "How can you say that? I knew we were different but… I don't open up to people I never intend to see again, or who are planning to leave my life. I'm scared of getting hurt, and you knew that, I thought. I feel so… misled. You knew you were getting me to be different with you, working on lowering my guard, and you did all that with the knowledge you were going to just disappear in a few days? Leaving me to my isolation and sadness again? What the _hell_ were you thinking? Clearly not about me..." she trailed off.

Austin jerked back in surprise at the anger in her words and the hurt on her face. "Ally, I didn't think about any of that, I just thought about how amazing you are and how much I wanted to get to know you better. I wasn't thinking..."

"No, you weren't thinking," she cut him off. "You weren't thinking about who you would hurt or what would happen to me because you were just 'living in the moment' and avoiding the actual emotional labor required in a real relationship, friendship or otherwise. You were thoughtless."

Austin frowned and didn't say anything for a moment, trying to figure out how to calm her down. He started to say her name, but she cut him off again, saying "Just go Austin. Just go. I need to be alone right now." Her words conveyed only sadness and hurt, the anger was gone from her tone.

Austin wasn't going to stay if she didn't want him there. He pushed himself up off the couch and, with one last look at her, he crossed the main room and walked out the back door, closing it gently behind him.

As soon as he was gone, the tears started falling and Ally curled even further into her own body. She lay down on her side, in a fetal position, with no distinct thoughts running through her mind, only loud and chaotic emotions. She couldn't think logically, couldn't even really form thoughts. The only thought the rational part of her mind could conjure up was to wonder how this boy had become such an integral part of her life that she would be reduced to this kind of sobbing at the idea of him leaving.

It was another half hour before her crying slowed down. She dragged herself up to her bed and curled up again. Her emotions had worn her out enough that she soon fell asleep.

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**Sorry if this chapter gave you whiplash! Also sorry it's a little shorter than many of the chapters. But you didn't really think it was just going to be happily ever after once they kissed right? I'm curious to know what you all think, if Austin was in the wrong here. Also thanks for all your reviews on the last chapter, they made me very happy!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! I love that people were totally divided on who was in the wrong and to what degree after the last chapter, that's what I was hoping for. You can see how my own take on that plays out in this chapter and I think (hope) nobody will really be mad at either character after this one. But if you are let me know!**

* * *

Chapter 12

Austin and Ally both woke up early the next morning. Ally stayed in bed, staring at her ceiling, thinking about the night before. The tears were all cried out, and her head was clearer. As her mother had often told her growing up, crying is the digestive system for emotions, and she had taken that thought to heart.

She took several deep breaths as she replayed the events. Things had been going so well. She was, after all, incredibly attracted to Austin and the whole day had been a glorious mix of sweet and sexy moments. Nothing could have been better, until he dropped the bomb on her that he was leaving in three days.

In the bright morning light, Ally could see that she had gotten swept up in her feelings for Austin and the sexual tension because normal, rational Ally never would have let things get that far without asking the questions that would have exposed all the relevant information for her to make a decision. For instance "Before I kiss you, when are you planning on leaving me forever?" would have been a helpful question. She sighed, frustrated with herself. What did it mean that for the first time that she could think of, Ally had let those kinds of questions go and just experienced the moments as they were happening instead of panicking about what they would mean.

So she could see, and really understand, that maybe Austin had expected her to know that he'd be leaving at some point, and to have realized that their time was finite. But it also wasn't fair to drop that information on here with so little time left. Three days? After she had just poured her heart out to him, and he knew, or should have realized, what a vulnerable position that left her in, emotionally? Even rational Ally thought that was heartless and thoughtless, even if ultimately forgivable. It should have been clear that she would be taken off guard with that little notice. She was relieved that it was not only her who had messed up during last night's argument.

And that left the question of what to do next. He was going back to Miami and she was going to Los Angeles, about as far apart as you could get and be in the same country. She sighed for perhaps the four hundredth time that morning as she realized how impossible it all seemed. Ultimately, he was somebody she had known for only two weeks, and two weeks in person was not enough foundation for a real long-distance relationship, particularly not for two busy, up-and-coming musicians with no end in sight to their separation. Those kinds of relationships were always in the tabloids: messy breakups and infidelity. And when would they see each other? Twice a year? No matter how special Austin seemed, without a plan for not being apart Ally couldn't picture herself willing to do a serious long-distance relationship. Because that's what it would be: serious. If she and Austin could get this close in only two weeks, she knew that it would be serious for both of them as soon as it started, and that would only make it hurt more when it inevitably ended.

She sighed one last time, and dragged herself out of bed. She knew she was right about the impossibility of the situation, even if she wasn't truly angry at Austin anymore. She had just finally gone back to being her normal, rational self, and her normal, rational self couldn't pretend anymore that this would work out.

Austin on the other hand woke up abruptly, and his mind immediately went to the situation with Ally. Rather than staying in bed he sat up, ran his hands through his hair, and went downstairs to work out. Working out had always been an outlet for Austin, almost as much as music. His natural athleticism had never been able to shine in a team sport because he had needed to focus on his music, but he loved feeling in control of his body and the sense of self-improvement he got every time he worked out. When he was home in Miami he would go rock climbing and go to a nearby batting cage to hit some balls. But mostly he liked inventing workout routines that got all his muscles aching by the end.

It was also a good time to think. Austin rarely sat down to think about a problem. Rather, he would let it sit in the back of his mind where it would come to the front during showers or workouts, but only for brief periods of time. He found that this process led to natural conclusions rather over-thinking and rationalizing and he reached better outcomes this way. But sometimes an intentional conversation with himself was inevitable, like today, because he didn't have that much time to work out what to do about Ally.

As he started bending and stretching, he thought about what she had said the night before, that he was thoughtless. Maybe he really hadn't thought enough about her. He had been thinking about her constantly, how beautiful and talented and intelligent she was, but maybe he hadn't been thinking about her feelings and how this… whatever it was between them… would play out for her emotionally. She had been really clear that she didn't let many people into her life, and that he was getting special treatment. He knew from his own life, and his failed engagement, how much worse it was to let a person get close to you only to have them disappear from your life.

But he hadn't believed he was going to disappear from her life. He knew that what was happening between them was special. Their musical chemistry, their sexual tension, their intense conversations, he'd never met anyone who made him feel so complete before. He didn't jump into relationships easily, but that just made him all the more comfortable jumping in when he really did want to, like now. He had done a year of long distance with his fiancee and, while it hadn't been the best year for them, it was totally doable. He had no reason to think that it wouldn't work with Ally.

And if she didn't want to try it? Well, he'd have to live with that. But they could be friends right? Stay in touch? Maybe someday the timing would feel right? Austin knew his eternal optimism was perhaps painting this in too rosy a light, but his personal philosophy led him to believe that was always the best course of action.

By the time he had worked out for an hour, he, too, knew how he felt about the situation with Ally. Certainly the fight had partly, or even largely, been his fault, but there was still a way through this and he had to make her see that.

But despite each of them knowing what they needed to say, neither could bring themselves to face the other just yet. Ally tried playing some songs, to calm down her nerves, and then she stress-cleaned the cabin, despite it being sparkling clean already. Austin made food and baked to try and ignore the elephant in the room. He also took Bailey out for a regular long walk, now that she was feeling significantly stronger. But late afternoon came, and then evening, and neither of them had spoken to each other or even seen each other yet.

Finally, when Ally was thinking it all over for the millionth time, she realized that she had now spent one of the three remaining days they had thinking instead of being with him. And that if she kept this up, she wouldn't even see him before he left. She reasoned that she had been the one to kick him out the previous night, so it was on her to open the dialogue.

With that in mind, she stomped over to his cabin, her body language already defensive before she'd knocked on the door. Austin heard the knock and knew what was coming, so instead of leaping for the door like he usually did when Ally came over, he trudged over slowly, warily, steeling himself for the conversation ahead. When he opened the door he didn't even say hello, he just waved her inside.

She plopped down on the couch, and he sat down too, as far away as he could on the couch to give her her personal space.

Before Ally could even say anything, Austin blurted out, "Look I get what you were saying last night, about my not thinking about your feelings and how you would feel about the situation, but this wasn't all my fault. Maybe I was projecting myself onto you and imagining how I would think, but you weren't thinking too far in the future either. You can't put this all on me. You knew one day one or both of us would have to leave this place and you ignored that fact because it was convenient and you were caught up in the moment, just like me. I think we're both pretty responsible for how last night went down, Ally."

He waited, prepared for her to explode at him, so he was surprised when she quietly said, "Yeah, I know."

"You do?"

"Yeah, the me you saw last night was emotional Ally, the side of me I keep under lock and key a lot. The one that isn't thinking with her brain but with her heart. And I think you could tell how hurt I was that you didn't tell me earlier how soon you were leaving. Honestly, the idea of you leaving made me want to retreat inside my shell and lash out at you for hurting me, so that's what I did. And you're right that I was willfully blind to the fact that of course you were going to have to leave. I just… didn't want to think about it," she admitted.

He let out a long sigh, glad that mostly rational Ally was back and was being understanding. It made it easier to admit what he said next. "If I'm being honest, I think some part of me didn't tell you when I was leaving earlier because I was afraid I would never get to kiss you, or be with you. That if I told you sooner you would just shut me out. But, apparently you were always going to..."

"Do you blame me? I know we're really different people in some ways, Austin, but you have enough emotional intelligence to see that if somebody who has an admittedly hard time letting people in finally lets somebody in, seeing them leave again a few days later is going to tear an extra big hole in their heart. You're more willing to let things go, and just enjoy what you have while it's there. I live in fear of my own feelings. Probably something I should see a therapist about," she joked lightly, trying to keep the conversation from getting too angry.

"No, I don't blame you. Of course I don't blame you. And you're right, like I said last night, I would still consider getting to know you an incredible experience even if these past few days were all I ever got. But I don't see why you _have_ to let me go. I don't want to let you go. I meant what I said about this being so emotional and incredible for me. You're already a really special person in my life, I really don't want that to just disappear."

"So what are you suggesting?" she asked, looking him in the eye.

"Be my girlfriend, let's really give this a try. I know we live in different places but we can visit. I've done long distance before and it does work. We can keep exploring the special thing we've got going here." His eyes filled with such hope as he proposed this, that Ally almost winced at what she had to say next.

"Austin, that's so sweet. And honestly makes me feel better that you weren't thinking of this as a whirlwind vacation romance or whatever. But… we've only known each other for like two weeks. That's not a great foundation for a relationship. And we don't live like an hour drive apart, we live a whole _country_ apart. With busy schedules and careers to worry about. And there would be no end in sight, because you don't want to move to Los Angeles and I don't want to move to Miami. Our careers are based on being in different parts of the country for the indefinite future. There are so many things working against us, and so few things working for us."

"I feel like you're underestimating the connection we've got."

"Maybe I am. Maybe it would all work out great, but you saw how I reacted last night and that was after only two weeks. I feel so breakable. Like you have the power to snap me in half emotionally and I'm _scared_. So scared. More than you probably understand ."

"So what are you suggesting then?" he asked, not looking forward to the answer.

"...Friends?" Ally said eventually.

"So everything we've done in the past two weeks was just about being friends? The flirting, the kissing, taking care of Bailey together?" he asked, the hurt and snarkiness coming out in his voice.

Ally rolled her eyes. "You know that's not it. You're not stupid. But maybe it's the best we can do in this situation. I don't want to totally lose you or try and deny our connection and quit cold turkey. But I also… I can't invest my heart in you Austin, you're too risky a bet."

Austin sighed heavily. "Okay," he answered finally.

"Really? Oh Austin," Ally breathed in relief. She leaned in for a hug, which he reciprocated, but it was short and tense. "We'll work this out, the stuff we have in common is too strong for us to drift apart totally," she said, trying to comfort him.

"But not strong enough for a romantic relationship," he replied. It wasn't a question.

Ally didn't respond and a silence fell over them. Finally she said, "Look, I should go, we both probably have to deal with our feelings by ourselves for a bit."

Austin nodded and stood up to give her a real hug, which Ally leaned into, before she headed for the door. Before she opened it, she asked hopefully, "Dinner tomorrow night? Before you leave?"

"Of course," Austin answered, a small smile on his face because he really couldn't help but like Ally. She smiled and disappeared out the door. He collapsed on the floor, back against the front of his couch, and a single tear slipped down his cheek. Sensing his sadness, Bailey came over and laid her head in his lap and he stroked her soft fur. Eventually he dragged himself up the stairs and fell into bed, not even bothering to change his clothes.


	13. Chapter 13

**This one's from Austin's point of view, to change it up a little bit! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's a little less depressing.**

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Chapter 13

Austin slept in late the next day. When he did wake up around ten in the morning, he had a lot of trouble getting himself out of bed. The conversation with Ally seemed to be physically weighing him down, pinning him in place in bed. Finally, remembering how much stuff needed to be packed before he left, he got up and made it into the shower.

Cooking always made him feel better so he spent a while baking muffins and cooking bacon in his kitchen. After wolfing some of it down, he could feel himself steel feeling...off-center. Austin didn't usually spend much time analyzing his moods, but he knew himself well enough to know the proper response to every feeling. When he wasn't feeling balanced he didn't try and figure out what was wrong, he would just go play some music and it would all feel better.

When he went into the studio, though, he couldn't think of a single cover song he wanted to play. Finally, he started playing random notes, which eventually turned into a melody. The song was slow, not his usual kind of song, but it reminded him of something Ally would write. As soon as he allowed himself to think of Ally, it was as if a light bulb went off in his head. He madly scrambled around for his phone and started recording his voice. Before long he felt like he had a real beginning of a song and he had a recording where he sang:

_If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder  
If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile  
If you wanna fly, I will be your sky  
Anything you need that's what I'll be  
You can come to me_

_You struggle inside  
Losing your mind  
Fighting and trying to be yourself  
When somebody lets you_

_Out in the cold  
But nowhere to go  
Feeling like no one could understand  
Then somebody gets you_

_So take a breath and let it go  
And try to have a little hope  
'Cause someone's gonna be there when you don't  
When you don't_

Austin felt shocked. He had never written a song so quickly. Scratch that, he'd never written a song that complete, ever. He felt his whole body relax as he kept working on it, more lyrics appearing from out of nowhere in his mind. He smiled sadly, realizing how good Ally had been for his creative process, too.

When he had a full version of the song, he left the studio. His mind felt a lot clearer, he had unconsciously gotten a lot of his fears and thoughts out in the song. It was both a song that was hopeful about their relationship and trying to encourage Ally to not give up on them, but also a song that meant he could be reconciled to a friendship, that he would still be there no matter what she chose. Part of him, he realized, had not given up hope and was still thinking she might change her mind. If tonight, in the next week, or the next month. Maybe if he proved that he was reliable and kept up his end of the communication, she would see that long distance wasn't impossible. It was with that kernel of hope that he approached the rest of his day.

After he ate a small lunch he set to packing up everything he brought. He created a small pile of the things that he and Ally had purchased together because he didn't want to make a unilateral decision about who would keep what. He also cleaned all the rooms, not wanting to leave a mess for the cleaning service.

When he got to the pantry and packing up all the remaining foods he had purchased, he realized he had not planned anything for dinner that night with Ally. He still had a bottle of wine and with what was left he decided to make a pasta dish with olives, spinach, and fennel. After he finished cleaning he got to work in the kitchen. After he finished chopping all the vegetables and the rest of the prep work, he texted Ally "Dinner in 30 min?" He quickly received a thumbs up in response. He got the water boiling and poured the pasta in. Before he knew it, the half hour had passed, dinner was almost ready, and Ally was knocking at his door.

He ran over to the door and pulled it open, flashing her with a brilliant grin as he gestured for her to come in and said "Mademoiselle, dinner will be served any minute."

Ally laughed, her nerves instantly eased. "Why thank you garcon, or should I say merci?"

He walked back to the stove and called back, "You want to pour the wine while I plate the food?"

"Sure," she replied, grabbing glasses from the shelf and opening the bottle.

A minute later they were sitting across the table from each other, and Austin lit a candle that was on the table next to them. "If we're going to be French, we may as well get the French cafe vibes right," Austin explained jokingly. Ally tried to ignore the romantic glow.

"So," she said cautiously, "When do you leave tomorrow?"

Austin didn't meet her gaze. "First thing, like 8 am. It's a long drive back to Miami."

"You're driving?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, flying with Bailey is too tough. Besides, I like driving. It's a chance to listen to full albums and try new music, or revisit old music I haven't listened to in a while. Are you a road trip fan?" Austin asked, trying to change the subject quickly.

"Mm, somewhat. Sometimes I get carsick, but also driving through gorgeous places is incredibly fun. We were an audio book family growing up, and I still listen to podcasts a lot when I do have to road trip, but sometimes I'll listen to music, too."

"Oh no, you're a podcast road trip person? That wounds my soul, Ally. So much of the joy of road trips is curating the music selection to match the vibes. Like if it's a summer night in the southwest that's a totally different mood than a sunny autumn day in the northeast."

"Ok, that I agree with you on. But I can't close my eyes when I'm driving, obviously, and when I really want to soak in music that's right for the moment I… I don't know I sort of want to meditate while listening to it, ya know?"

Austin acknowledged her point, then asked, "Okay, top five songs for the current moment?"

Ally laughed, asking "What is this, High Fidelity?" but she went ahead and threw out some answers. Together they debated and laughed over possible answers. Then Austin pushed back from the table, since they were done waiting and said, "I have something to show you."

Ally looked at him curiously, but he just grabbed his acoustic guitar and sat down on a kitchen bar stool facing her.

"I know you've said a lot about me inspiring your music since you've been here, but I wanted to let you know that you've inspired me, too. I wrote this song because of you Ally, it's for you, but it's also about you, and just… feelings. You know, those unpredictable things raging around in our brains a lot lately," he smiled halfheartedly. "I just want you to know I mean this, in whatever way you want it to mean," he said. Then he played the song he had written for her.

As Ally listened to the lyrics, she teared up a little. She knew exactly what Austin meant with the song, and she appreciated every facet of it. When he was done, he put aside the guitar and scooted closer to her chair.

He reached for both of her hands and held them for a moment, before saying, "I could never have written that without you. Without your talent but also without your presence in my life. I know this isn't easy right now, but more than anything else I just want you to know this was real for me, and I suspect it will have a long impact on me. You, Ally, are an incredible woman and I look forward to you being in my life for a long time, in whatever capacity."

Ally was choked up, but she flung her arms around Austin and hugged him tightly. He reciprocated, pulling her as close as he could. The hug went on for a long time, until Ally finally sniffled and pulled away.

"Right now I can't be as eloquent as you Austin, but I feel the same way, all of it. I'm glad you're not disappearing from my life."

They looked into each other's eyes, smiling, for a minute before Austin suddenly remembered, "Oh, I wanted to give you something else!"

He pulled out the small stack of items they had bought together and suggested, "I was thinking we could each take some of these? I wanted a tangible reminder of this trip, and I thought you might, too. What if I took Operation and you took the movies and the conversation starters?"

Ally thought for a moment and then counter-proposed, "I'll take the movies and you take Operation, but we split the conversation starter cards. That way we can both use them as part of how we stay in touch?"

Austin smiled broadly and said, "I like that."

Ally sighed when she saw the clock. "I better go, Austin, it's getting late. But I'll be up tomorrow in time to give you a hug, okay?"

Austin nodded sadly, not ready for the night or the trip to be over. He walked Ally to the door and they paused as he held the door open for her. It almost looked like she wanted him to kiss her, and he almost gave in to the impulse to do so. But instead he gave her a quick hug and waved to her, saying "Sleep tight Ally, see you tomorrow."

She disappeared into the night and he closed the door behind her. He leaned his back and his head against the closed door and let out a big breath. He was glad that they had had a nice night together before he left, so that they didn't leave on a hard or bitter note. And he was glad she had suggested splitting the conversation cards because it told him that she was serious about staying in touch. All in all there was plenty to be grateful for.

He meticulously washed all the dishes before heading upstairs to bed. He fell asleep dreaming of holding Ally in his arms again, the way he had hugged her after he played her the song.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Austin and Ally woke up about the same time the next morning. They both lay in their beds, staring at the ceiling, for about ten minutes before getting up and getting ready. Austin showered and packed his remaining belongings. Ally spent some time doing her hair and picking out a normal but cute outfit because going through the motions helped keep her sadness at bay. They both felt a muted, emotionless dullness resting over them as they prepared for their two weeks together to end.

Austin thought about making some breakfast, but decided he would rather get going and he would pick something up along the way. He brought his bags downstairs and fed Bailey before packing the last of her food up. Then he started carrying everything out to the truck.

Ally heard the sounds of Austin's doors slamming and Bailey's small excited barks while she was finishing up getting ready. She sighed, glancing in the mirror at her reflection, and then headed downstairs and outside.

She waved to Austin and he waved back, a sad, small smile on both their faces.

"Need any help carrying stuff?" she asked.

"Could you actually hang out with Bailey for a bit while I finish loading stuff into the truck? I keep being afraid she's going to trip me. She's excited for the road trip, I always let her hang her head out the window."

"Even in winter?" Ally asked, laughing a little.

"What can I say, I'd get frostbite for that dog," he replied, laughing back.

Ally sat on the gravel driveway with Bailey, scratching her belly and playing tug of war with a scrap of rope while Austin brought the last of his things outside.

"Okay, well, I think I'm going to head out," he said awkwardly.

Ally didn't say anything, she just stood up and wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him tightly for a really long time. Austin relaxed into the hug, too, and they almost clung to each other for a minute. Then Ally stiffened a little and took a step back before saying "Have a safe trip, Austin. And don't forget to text me!" She smiled at him, willing herself to hold back tears until he was gone.

He smiled back at her. "This really was an incredible two weeks. I will text you for sure, don't even doubt it for a moment." Then he got Bailey into the truck and swung himself up into the driver's seat. He pulled down the gravel driveway and as he turned onto the main road he waved at her out the window and she waved back.

And then he was gone and Ally was alone. She went back into the cabin, numbly making herself some oatmeal for breakfast. Then she did laundry, answered a few emails from her manager, and otherwise kept herself busy for the afternoon and evening. It wasn't until after dinner, when she had run out of tasks, that her emotions really sank in and the tears rolled down her cheeks. Austin leaving was just as bad as she had imagined it.

But then her phone pinged, and she looked down to find a text from Austin. It was a picture of Bailey with her head out the window while Austin was bundled in infinite layers of clothing. She laughed and smiled, wondering if he could still read her mind from this distance and knew that she needed to know he was still there for her.

"You make it safe?" she texted back.

A minute later he sent back, "Yeah, this crazy animal is settled in for the night and I'm going to head to bed soon, too."

She almost let the conversation end there, but she remembered what they had agreed to the day before. "Wait, before you do" she sent back quickly, and then headed upstairs to grab the half of the conversation starters cards that he had left for her.

"?" Austin sent back as she was looking.

"What's the first book you remember reading by yourself?" she texted back, once she read it on the top card.

"Ooh conversation starter card? I think it was Treasure Island. My mom had already read it to me once but I loved it and wanted to read it again so I decided to. What about you?"

"I think one of the Little House on the Prairie Books. I was into westward expansion stories until I learned about manifest destiny and the Native Americans and stuff. Ruins all the romance of the west to learn that it was done at the expense of so many other people."

They went back and forth on that point for a few texts before Ally finally said, "Well, you better get to sleep. I'm sure you've got a lot to do to get back into your normal life tomorrow."

Austin sent back a simple "Night Ally."

Even that short conversation made Ally feel better. Her head told her maybe she was using their conversation as an excuse to forget that they weren't going to see each other again, at least not in the near future, and that nothing was going on between them. But her heart told her that it was okay to feel relieved that this person who was so special to her still wanted to talk to her. Not long after she fell asleep, too.

The next day she tried to get some work done on her album but recognized almost immediately that without Austin there she was back to her writer's block and she wasn't going to get anything done. Instead of wallowing in sadness, Ally's proactive side kicked in and she called her manager, telling him that she was coming home immediately with a lot more of the album done than when she left and that she'd want to sit down with some of the record label's songwriters to finish them up. She then packed her bags and got ready to leave. The only bright spot in the day was another conversation with Austin about the next conversation starter card (this time he used the one that was on top of his stack of the cards).

She felt sad when she pulled out of the gravel driveway herself the next day. But she tried to refocus on the exciting things ahead, like seeing her friends in Los Angeles, and finally putting her album together. She drove to the airport, returned the rented Prius, and hopped on the plane home.

The next couple of weeks went by in a blur. She had meetings with people at the record label, and her manager was excited about the songs she had come up with. He asked a couple questions about where the ideas had come from but she deflected them all. She had dinner with Trish, her best friend, a few times, and settled back in to her routine of cooking and playing and writing. She traded at least a few texts with Austin every day, and they always talked about at least one of the conversation starters. But they didn't talk on the phone or video chat, and Ally was relieved to use texting as an excuse to put a little mental distance between them without giving up all conversation.

That all changed when, two weeks after she got back, she got a call from her manager.

"Ally, why didn't you tell me you had worked on a collaboration with Austin Moon? First of all, you definitely should have cleared that with me, but second of all, it's _really_ good! We can definitely find a way to profit off of this," Ronny Ramone said to her.

"I, uh, what? How did you hear about it?" she asked, confused.

"Well, Jimmy Starr called me up and said they wanted to put out Austin's collaboration with you. That it was perfect for his new sound. He wanted to make sure we could write up a contract so there wouldn't be any legal problems."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense. What did you say?"

Ally and Ronny hashed out the details about what her cut of the song profits would be and how the release would roll out. Then Ronny hit her with another surprise.

"What would you say about doing more work with Austin? I have a good relationship with Jimmy and I think a full album collaboration might be a great thing for everyone involved. We could still put out your fourth album separately, but it would totally be good for you to show some versatility in your style and work on something unusual to spark some conversation in the industry. What do you say?"

Ally almost dropped the phone in surprise.

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**I don't love this chapter, and it's a bit shorter than the others, but it's a transition moment so it is what it is (also the only time in this story I'll leave you with anything vaguely like a cliffhanger). I promise you'll all love the next chapter though!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Ally? Ally!" She snapped back into focus when Ronny yelled her name in the phone.

"Oh, sorry Ronny," Ally answered automatically.

"So, what do you think? Are you up for doing the album with Austin?"

Ally paused, uncertain. It was an overwhelming piece of information to try and take in. "Can I get back to you Ronny? I need to think about it a bit."

"Sure, Ally, no worries. Just so you know we'd pay for you to relocate to Miami for however long it took to write the album. And I think this might be a really really great thing for your career, but it's obviously a big decision so whatever you decide is fine."

"Thanks Ronny," she said before she hung up. She promptly sat down on the floor of her apartment in a daze, unsure where to begin. She knew that her creative process with Austin was special and they would probably make an incredible album together. And it would be fun to be in Miami for a few months. But… was she ready to deal with Austin in person? She certainly wasn't over him, but if they were going to be in the same place for months maybe that was just the chance she had wanted to see if their connection was real enough to try long distance? If he even still felt the same way… But it didn't change the fact that neither of them had plans to relocate long-term and not having an endgame plan seemed terrifying. All of her thoughts were punctuated with question marks. No matter what she chose, she knew that it would have a significant impact on her relationship with Austin.

There was only one person who could help answer any of those questions. She picked up her phone again and called him, anxiety rising inside her at the thought that he might not pick up, or that he would.

Austin picked up on the fourth ring. "Ally? Are you okay?" he voice a little groggy.

Ally glanced at the clock and face palmed. "Oh no, Austin, did I wake you up? It's only 9 pm here, I totally forgot about time zones." She couldn't help the blush creeping into her cheeks at the sound of his raspy voice, and she thought about the time they had fallen asleep together on the couch.

"It's fine, don't worry. What's up?" Austin asked, sounding a little more awake.

"So, my manager just called me..."

"Oh, so you know. I was wondering if they'd asked you yet..." he trailed off, sounding a little embarrassed.

"How long have you known? Why didn't you ask me yourself?" she asked, realizing she hadn't even wondered whether he was aware of what their managers were up to.

"They wouldn't let me, my manager said I had to let Ronny talk to you about it, something about keeping it above board legally or whatever, I don't know. But I've been waiting for you to bring it up."

"It's a lot to consider," Ally sighed.

"Would you think twice about it if it were anyone else?" Austin asked quietly.

"Well, yes probably? Because I don't know of anyone else I work with so well. But at the same time, there's absolutely nobody who would be so emotionally complicated to work with. So, the pros AND cons feel magnified beyond any other possible situation."

Austin laughed a little, then said, "Classic Ally, already making mental pro and con lists."

She laughed, too, realizing just how type A she was being about all this.

There was a silence between them for a moment, before Austin said, "Look, I can… we can try and make this less emotionally complicated. It was never complicated to work together musically and the rest we can play by ear or whatever. If you came here I wouldn't, you know, expect anything. Like for you to necessarily change your mind. I'd still be hoping, but I'd be hoping even if you didn't come to Miami. But I think we can work together professionally no matter what. Obviously this would be a much bigger break for my career than yours but also… we could make _such good music_. My label loved our first song, and I think we both did, too."

Ally sighed again. "You make it sound so easy Austin, but I never wanted to have feelings for you in the first place. I don't know if it's really a thing logic can control..."

"You? Not governed by logic 1000% of the time?" Austin teased her, and she laughed.

"Well, you _do_ make some compelling points," she finally answered. He really had made her feel better, because if he could walk into this situation with no expectations from her then she was free to make a decision about their relationship with her eyes wide open and really think the consequences through, unlike last time. She wasn't comfortable with the imbalance it suggested, to leave her with all the power to decide the fate of their relationship, but that seemed inevitable to her, given their feelings and beliefs.

Austin held his breath on the other end of the phone. He was desperately hoping she would say yes to coming to Miami, even though he did mean it when he said he would walk in to it with no expectations. No matter what happened, he would just be happy to have her in his life more fully again. Getting to spend time with her was a positive in his book, regardless of where their relationship stood.

Finally she whispered into the phone, "Okay."

"Okay?" he asked, letting out his breath.

"Yes, okay, I'll see you in Miami before long." She could practically hear his grin through the phone.

"See you soon," Austin whispered back, managing to keep from screaming it, before they hung up.

The next few days were a whirlwind for Ally. She spent all day on the phone with her label, arranging for the apartment she would stay in and booking her flights. Any time she wasn't on the phone she was packing. Before a week had gone by, she was on the flight to Miami.

When she landed, she took a cab to her apartment. Inside, she found a bouquet of flowers with a card that said, "Welcome back to Miami, partner" and it was initialed A.M. She leaned back against the counter and found she couldn't stop smiling.

The apartment was beautiful, it even had a little balcony overlooking the ocean and the label had made sure to include a baby grand piano for her to work on. Ally knew the apartment wasn't far from the studio where the labels had reserved time for her and Austin to work, so she would be able to walk and didn't need to worry about a car.

After she unpacked she picked up her phone and texted Austin a picture of the view from the balcony.

"You're heeeeeeeere!" came the quick reply, making her laugh.

"I am! Love the apartment already," she answered.

"Hang out tomorrow? I'm guessing you're dead from the travel," he texted.

She smiled at his considerateness, but then was hit with a wave of anxiety about seeing him for the first time. What would be a neutral location? Should they start in the studio, or was that too impersonal? Ally knew Austin would laugh at how much she was overthinking things. "How about you show me your favorite coffee spot in Miami? At like 11 am maybe?" she texted back. Coffee was neutral, right?

He texted her back with a thumbs up and they agreed he would pick her up since she didn't have a car.

To Ally's surprise she slept well that night, perhaps because of the long day of travel. She woke up the next day with plenty of time to make herself a good breakfast (the label had stocked the refrigerator, too) and get her outfit and makeup together. She went for a cute red sundress with little white polka dots, flat sandals, and her favorite pair of sunglasses. Only a couple minutes after she finished, she got a text from Austin saying he was downstairs.

She found him waiting at the curb outside her building, leaning against his little old sedan. It was clearly out of style, but also well maintained and clean. He gave her a huge grin when he saw her and wrapped her in a bear hug.

"Hi! I'm so glad you're here," he told her warmly, his hands still on her shoulders.

"I'm glad I'm here, too!" They got in the car and Ally asked, "So where are we going?"

"Well, it's your first day back in Miami in a while, I figured you needed something on the beach. Even if you do have beaches in LA, you know the Florida beaches are better," he teased her.

In a few minutes they parked next to a beach bar and cafe that was decorated festively with plenty of colorful umbrellas and brightly painted Adirondack chairs close to the water. They ordered two iced coffees and managed to snag a pair of chairs facing the ocean.

"Okay, yes, I have to admit this is pretty great," Ally acknowledged.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a couple minutes before Austin asked, "So, how was it being back in L.A. for, like, two minutes before leaving again?"

Ally shrugged. "Same old, same old. Good to see my friends again, even if it was just for a little bit. They're used to me running off on tours and things all the time so they're used to just picking up our friendship where we left off, no matter how long the break."

"That's so amazing to have friends like that. Other than my best friend, Dez I really struggle."

"Well, I think it helps that I've known most of them for years so there's a lot of established stuff to build on. Making new friends as an adult hasn't been super successful for me," she admitted.

"Making adult friends is _so hard_," Austin practically whined.

"How about you, how has it been being back in Miami?" she asked.

"Warm," he said jokingly. "But really it's been nice. It's home, you know? My parents are here and I love being comfortable with all the old familiar places."

Ally nodded in understanding. They talked for another two hours until Ally's stomach grumbled. Austin led her to his favorite food truck, which was just around the corner, and they ate their pancakes on the beach. It was so easy, as always, and Ally relaxed significantly, glad they hadn't just jumped into the studio without reestablishing the connection. She didn't feel any pressure from Austin for anything more than friendship and she appreciated it so much that it allowed her to be open and trusting again.

That night, after they had gone their separate ways and agreed to meet at the studio the next morning, she texted him that day's conversation starter, unwilling to break the habit.

As they had both predicted, their time in the studio the next day went by quickly and easily. Austin had brought a melody with him and Ally worked on the lyrics as he fleshed out the instrumental components. By the end of the day, they had a rough version of "The Way That You Do" that they were both pleased with.

The work went on like that for two weeks. They spent a little bit of time together outside the studio, occasionally grabbing dinner after a long day or hanging out at the beach for part of the afternoon on the weekend, but mostly they worked on the music which was an all-absorbing project now that they were both past their writer's block and it was coming so easily to them.

Ally couldn't help notice Austin teasing her and flirting with her, but he was gentle about it and never pushed any boundaries so it didn't feel like pressure. It kept he tension alive, but didn't make it unbearable. She also noticed more of his quirks but still hadn't found anything about him to dislike. The man had no red flags.

One day they were so engaged in the song they were working on and trying to nail the track for the recording that they ordered pizza to the studio so they wouldn't have to leave. Even as they ate, they kept rehashing the song and trying to identify what added instruments would help flesh out the sound they were aiming for.

Before either of them realized they were the only ones left in the building at the recording studio, sitting on the piano bench together, playing melody and harmony. His fingers kept brushing against hers as they played, and every time a jolt of electricity coursed through her. His physical proximity kept her heart beating a little faster than it would normally, and she thought somehow he managed to look even cuter than usual when he focused on playing his part correctly.

Finally, she glanced at the clock above the piano and saw it was almost two in the morning. Without thinking about it, she leaned her head on Austin's shoulder and sighed. His arm instinctively went around her shoulders to hold her up a little.

"Tired Ally?" Austin asked gently, his voice quite close to her ear.

"We've been here for close to 15 hours, aren't you tired?" she mumbled slightly, enjoying the feeling of his hand on her shoulder, stroking her upper arm in a soothing way. She was tired, but the sexual tension between her and Austin was building as he continued to stroke her arm and eventually her hair.

Austin must have realized that things were becoming more charged than they had in the past two weeks because he leaned her upright and stood up from the bench.

She gave him a fake pout, sad at the lost contact, and also stood up. Somehow that night, after the long day, and the weeks of being constantly around him, she was too exhausted to keep up the act anymore. Her feelings were back in full force, and based on the look in his eyes she suspected his were, too. She took a step towards him, and he didn't back away. One more step and she was right in front of him.

"Austin, I…" she trailed off, looking up at him. His hand drifted back into her hair, not quite of his own volition, and he brushed her hair back from her face. At that touch she caved into her desire, and pulled his head down to hers. She kissed him passionately, full of everything they had been repressing for more than a month since their last kiss. The feel of his lips was instantly familiar, in a way she hadn't expected since they had only kissed a few times. He responded instantly, hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her against him tightly. She responded with equal intensity and before she knew it Austin had spun her around and pushed her up against the studio door. The kissed like that for a minute before Austin pulled away.

Ally saw a look of fear in his eyes, and responded to it instantly, saying, "Don't think you pushed me into this, that's not what happened. I just find you really attractive, in every way, and couldn't keep my hands off you. I anyone's to blame, well, it's me."

Austin smiled at her comment about how attractive she found him, and then he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. Ally knew he was trying to convey how important she was to him, and she could feel it.

"Look, if you want to pretend this didn't happen that's fine but it's way too late to analyze this right now, so let's talk tomorrow?" he asked.

Ally nodded and then, because it was so late, Austin walked her back to her apartment building. He reached out and held her hand for the last block.

Austin was right, it was too late to process anything, so Ally just went to bed.

The next day, Ally was filled with an enormous mixture of emotions, but she also knew what she wanted, finally. She met Austin outside the studio, but he said, "Not here, let's go sit on the beach?"

Ally nodded and followed him to a path to the beach. They sat on the sand and, because it was the morning on a week day the beach wasn't too crowded. They silently watched the waves for a few minutes before Ally finally spoke.

"I'm not sorry about last night."

Austin quickly turned his head to look at her, but then looked away again. "I'm not sure what that means," he responded honestly.

"You've been so patient with me and generous enough to put no pressure on me, and I appreciate that so much. It's just even more proof that you are the person I thought you were. And… I like this, I like how we are together and the music we make and how easy things are. Even though we're not in a cabin in the middle of nowhere in the snow, this, us, the thing between us is the same. It wasn't something we imagined because of the romantic setting. It's just… real. And we still don't have a solution to the fact that we live across the country from each other with no end in sight but I know now that my life would be better with us together than it would be without us together, no matter where we are. So, that's what I want, if you're still interested that is."

Austin had started smiling about halfway through her speech, but he waited patiently for her to finish before nodding and then leaning in and kissing her. They stayed like that on the beach together in a perfect bubble of happiness for the rest of the day.

The rest of the album was written quickly and it was, as their managers had predicted, good for both their careers. They toured together for the album and got to spend almost a year together that way, and every passing day made their relationship even stronger. When it came time to go back to their individual careers, Ally couldn't stand to leave Austin so she gave her label an ultimatum and they agreed to let her be based out of Miami instead of Los Angeles. They never even had to do long distance.

* * *

**So this is the last chapter! It didn't really feel like I could break it up so I just made it one long chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, I think this is my favorite story I've written so far and I'm definitely still working on my fiction writing style. I think I'll probably take a break for a few weeks and plan out whatever I'm going to write next, but I won't be gone for long. I've got a couple other, older stories up you can check out in the mean time, if you're interested.**


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